ANISSA RATNA PUTRI

And that is where it hit me. Since I was born, my parents always try to give their best for me. Yet, in Japan, I could not do the same for them. I even think about less convenient things because I thought it will save my parents money. Then I realized it’s should not be an issue of money at all. It’s about providing the best thing that you can give to your parents, and let them decide which one they want. For example, if they were tired, I should ask whether they want to take taxi or not, and inform them the price, instead of directly taking them by bus. You see - things that common for us because we use it in our daily life does not mean will be the same comfortable for others. Especially for parents who has less stamina compared to us, the younger generation. 

Yesterday, I had a culinary experience at Ubud. This part of Bali somehow makes me curious, with organic/healthy and artsy things.

I started my day with a glass of juice at Juice Ja Cafe. Since I feel like I need more vitamin C, I ordered Immune Boost (IDR 20K). It is a mix of apple, orange, beet, and carrot. Actually, I kind of hesitant because I don't really like carrots and beets blended.. but I believe they won't serve something undrinkable, so I just go with it. Luckily it tastes nice, although there were some carrot/beet smells left. I was also curious to taste raw snacks, so I ordered a Protein Ball (15K). I did not take a note of what is the mixture of the ball, but it was delicious!

This place is a kind of place that I will choose for spending a time reading books or working on something on my laptop. It has a nice ambience, it offers wi-fi, and it's not that crowded. They also sell jams, coffee, and other organic/healthy thingies. Find this comfy place at Jl. Dewi Sita, Ubud.

After having my brunch, I walked to my next destination for lunch: Bali Buda. Since they are a client of my current internship place, my friend once suggests me to go there if I want to try anything healthy. I have always curious for a vegetarian burger. I once made a patty from tofu, and I really want to know how it is should be. Thus, I ordered Gourmet Burger (54K). They provide three choices of patty: beans, tofu, or beet. I chose tofu patty. Aaand here it is.

I love the salad because they put paprika instead of tomatoes (sorry, I don't really eat tomatoes..). The wedges are light but tasty enough, although I prefer more pepper on it. As for the burger, I didn't expect they will come up with a black charcoal bun! I love it. However, I kind of disappointed with the patty. I am not even sure if it is a patty. It is more like a 'tahu telor' (egg and tofu) inside a bun. It goes well with mayo-pesto sauce, but it does not necessarily taste like the real patty (I am expecting a tofu-patty that makes people not aware of the fact that the patty is not from meat).

Bali Buda restaurant itself is crowded with foreigners, but somehow I don't feel lost in space like when I was in one of the restaurants in Seminyak. I don't know, here in Ubud, even though foreigners dominating the restaurant, the atmosphere of the restaurant itself does not feel like 'high-class-foreigners-only'. It feels warm and comfortable. Unfortuntely in Bali Buda you cannot have your me-time reading book (at least not at lunch time), since people are waiting to be seated. To get a seat for lunch (or dinner), especially on weekends, I suggest you come early because apparently it is always full of people.

Other than the restaurant, Bali Buda also has a shop nearby. It sells bread, jams, coffee, gluten-free snacks, seeds, probiotic chicken.. basically any healthy things you might think of. If I am not full at that time, I would love to try some bread. I might go back here since the bread is really tempting. By the way, they will change their name to 'Bali Bunda' soon. Find their shops at Jl. Jembawan, Ubud or at other areas such as Sanur, Bukit, and Kerobokan.

Finished with my lunch, I am willing to have some coffee. I headed to Seniman Coffee, a coffee shop at Jl. Sriwedari, Ubud. I myself not really a coffee enthusiast. I drink mostly lattes, or cappuccinos, or anything combined with milk. I had never intentionally order a black coffee because I think it will be very bitter. But this time, I want to taste something different. So I asked the barista, what kind of black coffee he suggests for a 'beginner' like me? Then he said Sumatra medium roast (40K) is really delicious. So I let him making one for me.

And it is, delicious! It is unique because the coffee smell and taste are strong, but it is not bitter. It is kind of bitter-sweet taste, in such a way that I don't even need a sugar to drink it. I am glad to try this one! Oh, and since I sat in the coffee bar, the barista gave me a sample of Bali light roast coffee. It is really light, taste more like a tea, but again it is delicious. How come I never drink a real Indonesian coffee before?

As for the place, Seniman Coffee has outdoor and indoor area. Both are nice place whether to talk with friends or to have your me-time. That time I spent my me-time, and about to read my book, when a guy ask me what book it is, and then we started a conversation. He's an American, working on music, and had stayed in Bali for 2 months. He said he always move from one place to another, and he prefers not to come to the same place twice. But apparently Bali has caught his heart. This is the second time he comes to Bali, and he said he love it here. I cannot be more agree with him. Bali is one of the places in Indonesia that I think will suit me to live in.. other than Bandung. We had a good talk about our work and life, which is very strange for me who rarely want to talk to strangers. He somehow motivates me to 'make the most of it' every day. To do routines and to not break it. To think of what I really want to do for my country. To make me decide, that the next time I go to a coffee shop, I will seat in a coffee bar again.

My last stop is Gaya Gelato. I thought there is only one Gaya Gelato in Ubud, but I just found out that there are actually a few of them.. and yesterday I took a long walk to Sayan, only to have a cone of gelato. Oh well. I like to explore places anyway. On my way to Gaya Gelato, I:

1. was chased by a house-dog

2. saw a local barong parade

3. stopped by a batik shop to buy a postcard

4. saw a rice field (not intentionally looking for it, but in Ubud everyone is looking for a rice field, so.. I think I'll mention it)

Here are some pictures of my Ubud walk yesterday.

After 6 km, finally, this is it: Gaya Gelato! I ordered a small size cone (29K), a combination of Cannella (Cinnamon) and Vaniglia (Vanilla). Both tastes delicious, but this combination is for those who prefer a light taste. For a balance combination, I would recommend you a mix of Cannella with Panna Cotta, or Vaniglia with Cioccolato. Compared with Gusto Gelato, I think Gaya Gelato texture is lighter. However, I am not an expert in this gelato things. My Italian supervisor said Gaya Gelato is the best one in Bali, so maybe it is?

And my culinary experience is finished. I went back home with Gojek, the same way I went to Ubud earlier this afternoon. Luckily, the trip was with different routes. I love my way back home, with sloppy roads and rice fields (again).

Thank you, Ubud. I had a great time.

Love,

Setelah 10 bulan tinggal di Jepang, saya kembali ke Indonesia untuk internship.

Ini adalah hal-hal yang saya alami salama tiga minggu pertama saya di Indonesia.

Disclaimer: mungkin akan ditemukan banyak keluhan annoying. Percayalah saya masih sayang sama Indonesia, despite of any complaint I mentioned here.

Panasssss!!!

Keluhan wajar karena saya datang dari Kyoto yang sedang winter ke Bali yang sedang kena dampak kelainan cuaca karena El Nino. Sudah resiko yang saya ambil waktu memutuskan intern di sini sih, jadi saya nggak ingin banyak mengeluh. Tapi, sungguh ini panasnya tidak normal. Seminggu pertama, saya nggak nafsu makan. Beberapa kali menu makan malam saya bukan nasi, tapi es krim.

Alhamdulillah nggak diare..

Sebelum pulang, saya sudah antisipasi dengan banyak masak makanan indonesia dan south east asian food selama satu bulan terakhir. Tujuannya membiasakan perut sama bumbu-bumbu yang ‘kenceng’, supaya perut saya nggak kaget ketika tinggal di Indonesia. Mitosnya, setiap orang yang lama tinggal di luar negeri kemudian mengkonsumsi makanan di indonesia, pasti kena diare. Alhamdulillah selama tiga minggu ini saya belum mengalami diare. Memang belum makan yang kaki lima banget, sih. Mungkin minggu ini saya coba. Bismillah… *berharap nggak perlu ralat isi posting ini*

Thank God Gojek is exist

Nggak bisa mengendarai motor di Bali itu salah banget. Pulau Dewata ini tidak punya public transportation yang memadai. Bis kota hanya lewat di jalan raya. Angkot sangat minim, hanya rute tertentu. Transportasi orang-orang di sini ya naik sepeda motor dari ujung Bali yang satu ke ujung Bali lainnya. Untungnya, di Bali ada Gojek. Saya sudah jadi sobat Gojek banget deh sekarang. I don’t know how can I survive in Bali without Gojek. Tadinya udah mau pinjam sepeda sama Paola. Kaya kuat aja ngegowes di sini. 

Everything tastes too sweet

Saya suka banget makanan manis, dan saya selalu mengeluh cemilan jepang itu kurang manis. Tapi begitu saya balik makan cemilan Indonesia.. tiba-tiba semua terasa jadi giung banget. Beng-beng, chocolatos, dan cemilan-cemilan kesukaan saya dulu, sekarang saya jadi males makannya. Bahkan saya minum teh nggak pakai gula, ngebayangin manisnya gula Indonesia jadi nggak nafsu masukin gula. Entah jenis gulanya yang berbeda atau gimana. Bukan sombong, tapi lidah saya nggak enak, gimana dong? Hiks.

Listrik dan internet mahal ya…….

Pertama kali menggunakan pulsa listrik, kaget 100ribu rupiah habis dalam satu minggu saja. Dengan pemakaian yang sama, tagihan listrik saya di jepang nggak sampai 150ribu rupiah dalam satu bulan. Kemudian karena saya tinggal di Bali di mana kostan berinternet susah ditemukan, saya pakai modem portable, which is somehow mahal banget bayar paket internetnya. Maybe it’s just me yang kebanyakan telponan. Tapi dua hal ini signifikan banget lebih mahal daripada pengeluaran saya untuk hal yang sama di Jepang. Dear PLN and provider, how come you let this happen to me?

Akhirnya, hujan beneran.

Hujan di Jepang itu mostly rintik-rintik cantik. Nggak pernah hujan deras banget heboh pakai angin, kalau pernah pun pasti itu taifun. Makanya ketika akhir minggu kemarin sudah mulai hujan di Bali, saya bahagia. Akhirnya, ketemu juga sama hujan ‘beneran’. Langsung baca novel, minum teh panas, sambil setel lagu Payung Teduh dan rangkaian playlist lagu hujan lainnya. Ah, nikmat banget rasanya.

Love,

Tahun 2015 adalah pertama kalinya saya mengalami 4 musim dalam satu tahun.

Salah satu checklist hidup saya sekarang sudah tercapai: merasakan 4 musim di Jepang (meskipun belum kesampaian ketemu salju).

Musim semi, saya datang ke Jepang disambut bunga sakura dimana-mana. Rasanya saat itu antara nggak percaya sama bahagia: ini beneran di Jepang ya?

That excitement, that happiness, that curiosity.

Pertama kali saya menjelajah Kyoto adalah jalan kaki bersama Wina yang berakhir di Kyoto Imperial Palace. Tempat yang langsung menjadi salah satu tempat favorit saya di Kyoto, selain Kamogawa. This place has such calming ambience that I cannot explain. Entering the gate, walking through the parks, and all of sudden I feel relax. Combine this calm ambience with cherry blossom trees everywhere. You couldn’t ask for more.

Di musim ini saya bertemu teman-teman baru: teman GSGES, teman labo, teman PPI, teman dorm di Satsuki. Kemudian saya memutuskan di sini saya akan dipanggil dengan nama ‘Anissa’ instead of ‘Ica’. Kenapa? Karena saya ingin orang-orang di Kyoto ini jadi seperti keluarga untuk saya.. dan keluarga saya nggak ada yang pernah memanggil saya dengan ‘Ica’. Meskipun awalnya terasa agak aneh sih dipanggil dengan ‘Anissa’. But I get used to it, and actually I kinda like it. Musim semi, terasa begitu singkat karena kesibukan kuliah (13 mata kuliah cuy), dan karena menikmati hidup sebagai mahasiswa (lagi).

Musim panas.

Saya sudah males banget menghadapi musim ini.

Saya nggak pernah cocok sama temperatur tinggi, saya sukanya yang sejuk-sejuk. 

Saya benci rasa pengap yang mengungkung dan terik matahari yang membakar.

Saya nggak suka udara panas, karena saya jadi ngga variatif pakai jilbab (penting).

Tapi setelah saya melewati musim panas dan melihat ke belakang.. hey, I made lots of good memories back then. 

Lihat kembang api, foto cantik bersama lampion, jalan-jalan di festival terbesar di Jepang sambil mengenakan yukata dan makan takoyaki, berenang di laut, Barbecue party, makan es serut…. dan masih banyak lagi hal-hal yang saya lakukan bareng sama orang-orang terdekat. 

Musim panas adalah musim festival di Jepang, nggak heran begitu banyak event sampai folder foto saya lebih dari 30 folder dalam 3 bulan saja.

Melihat foto-fotonya kembali, saya jadi senyum-senyum sendiri. Lalu saya sadar, meskipun musim panas menyebabkan kaki saya gosong, tapi dia juga meninggalkan kebahagiaan yang begitu besar. I can say, summer 2015 is the happiest season while I was in Japan.

Kemudian waktu beralih ke musim berikutnya, musim gugur.

Musim gugur untuk saya adalah kombinasi antara kesepian, tersesat, dan bahagia.

Diawali dengan internship di Tsukuba, kemudian masa transisi antar internship di mana saya kehilangan motivasi dan semangat belajar, kemudian periode di mana orang tua saya datang. 

Musim gugur juga musim makanan - bukan karena saya sering beli apel atau chestnut, tapi karena di musim ini saya paling produktif memasak.

Mungkin sebenarnya dari keempat musim, musim gugur adalah musim yang ‘saya banget’. I love the colors, I love the weather, and I love the ambience. I remember that day when I spent time sitting while enjoying the beautiful colours of maple leaves while listening to a special autumn playlist. Or that day when I went hunting for beautiful maple leaves around Kyoto, and end up enjoying maple leaves at Genko-an after cycling uphill. Bisa dibilang, musim gugur adalah musim paling ansos. Yet, I enjoyed my me-time season :)

And then winter is coming.

Dari semua musim, musim dingin adalah musim yang paling saya tunggu.

Karena saya selalu merasa cocok dengan udara sejuk cenderung dingin, dan saya punya mimpi mau ke Kutub Utara. Tapi sebenarnya I have no experience in the real cold weather. Saya penasaran, will I survive this winter?

Dan ternyata winter terlalu dingin bagi saya.

’Terlalu dingin’ bukan karena saya tidak bisa mentolerir suhu, tapi lebih kepada karena saya tidak bisa mentolerir keterbatasan saya untuk hal-hal tertentu.

Seperti keterbatasan saya untuk bermain di sekitar Kamogawa, atau duduk di luar untuk cari angin segar sambil menikmati pemandangan. I could not do that in winter, unless I want to freeze.

Dan saya tidak suka AC mode warm. Pada dasarnya saya memang nggak suka AC sih. Kalau musim panas, saya masih bisa survive tapa AC. Tapi musim dingin tanpa penghangat apapun dalam gedug minim insulasi itu… bukan pilhan yang baik (believe me, I tried).

Tapi di musim ini saya menikmati nyamannya mengenakan coat dan boots yang sudah disiapkan dari jauh-jauh hari (penting).

Saya main ice skating (outdoor!!), melihat light illumination yang cantik, kumpul lagi sama teman-teman setelah ngansos 3 bulan kemarin, dan.. jatuh cinta.

Si keras hati dan keras kepala ini akhirnya bisa jatuh cinta lagi, sampai saya sendiri agak bingung. Despite of the limitation because of coldness, I really enjoy this winter. And most of the time probably because of him. Sayangnya nggak ada salju, jadi belum ala-ala drama gitu hahaha.

Winter is not ended yet, but I escaped. Thus, even though today is snowing in Kyoto, I cannot experience it. 

Next year, will You give me some snow, please? 

Pertanyaan di atas sering ditanyakan kepada saya oleh banyak orang, bahkan sepertinya lebih banyak ditanyakan oleh orang Jepang, seakan mereka heran kenapa saya mau-maunya datang ke negara mereka. Ada beberapa alasan kenapa saya memilih untuk menempuh master di Jepang, meskipun ada peluang yang lebih menarik di tempat lain. Oke, mari kita jabarkan satu persatu.

Saya sudah 'kenalan' sama Jepang sejak kecil

Merasakan 4 musim di Jepang adalah salah satu cita-cita hidup saya

Waktu pertama kali saya membuat daftar life goals - mimpi dan cita-cita hidup yang ingin dicapai - 'merasakan 4 musim di Jepang' adalah salah satunya. Kenapa harus 4 musim dan kenapa harus di Jepang? Karena untuk setiap musimnya, Jepang punya festival-festival yang pengen banget saya datangi semua! Ketika Juli lalu saya jalan-jalan di night festival Gion Matsuri pakai yukata sambil makan takoyaki, rasanya bahagia banget! Berasa hidup dalam anime.

Lanskap kota yang nyaman

Ini sejatinya pandangan saya sebelum ke Jepang sih. Eh, sebenarnya masih berlaku selama saya masih di Kyoto, tapi langsung hilang begitu saya hidup di Kanto. Kalau melihat Jepang dari sisi Kyoto, pandangan saya ini mungkin benar. Kyoto, dengan segala ketradisionalannya, menyajikan infrastruktur dan fasilitas publik dikombinasikan dengan keindahan alam setempat yang memberikan ketenangan dan kenyamanan. Tapi Kanto? Yah.. 11-12 lah ya sama Jabodetabek. Meskipun pandangan saya tentang 'keseimbangan' ini sudah nggak segitunya lagi, tapi saya menghargai usaha Jepang yang punya ruang terbuka hijau (taman) yang terawat apik di hampir semua kota. Taman utama setiap kota bahkan sepertinya punya syarat minimum harus ada danau di tengahnya. Lumayan memberikan kesegaran di antara segala kepadatan hidup. Dan yang utama: nggak perlu bayar. Semuanya fasilitas publik, gratis.

Saya ingin belajar nilai-nilai yang baik dari masyarakat Jepang

Sebelum saya berangkat ke Jepang, saya melihat Jepang sebagai masyarakat yang punya nilai-nilai kuat yang sudah mengakar dalam masyarakatnya - sebagian baik dan sebagian tidak - dan saya ingin tahu lebih banyak tentang nilai-nilai yang mereka anut. Dengan hidup di Jepang, saya ingin belajar untuk mengurangi 'kefleksibelan' seperti yang sering dilakukan di Indonesia. Tentu saja bukan berarti saya ingin jadi pribadi yang kaku dan ketat atau pribadi yang less tolerance, tapi lebih kepada ingin menjadi pribadi yang lebih baik, mengkombinasikan toleransi yang saya punya sebagai orang indonesia dan disiplin yang saya pelajari dari orang Jepang. Btw, setelah tinggal di sini, saya belajar bahwa ternyata masyarakat Jepang punya berbagai problematika yang sangat menarik untuk didiskusikan. Every nation is not that perfect, after all.

Mau makan seafood lebih banyak (dan mengurangi daging)

Saya ada cita-cita pengen jadi pescetarian. Tenggat targetnya masih jauh sih, tapi dengan hidup di Jepang, saya berharap bisa mencicil niatan saya menuju cita-cita saya tadi. Karena katanya kan, masyarakat Jepang kebanyakan makannya seafood. Setelah tinggal di Jepang, memang sih, mereka makan seafood. Tapi sekarang ini sudah agak nggak sebooming itu ya restauran seafood (yang murah, kalau yang mahal sih banyak). Untungnya di grocery store  masih banyak dijual seafood, dari yang mentahan, semi-mentah siap makan, sampai yang dimasak dan disajikan dalam bento. Dan personally saya rasa masakan Jepang itu sehat banget! (Ternyata masakan Jepang itu world heritage lho) Suatu hari saya akan tulis tentang masakan Jepang, ya.

Jepang mendaurulang sampah

Meskipun ada kontroversi ini-itu, but yes, they do recycle. Mereka punya 6 undang-undang daur ulang sampah spesifik, mulai dari sampah elektronik rumah tangga (TV, kulkas, AC, mesin cuci) sampai sampah kontruksi. Mereka nggak hanya bikin undang-undang tapi nggak dijalanin - mereka benar-benar melaksanakan apa yang mereka tuangkan di undang-undang itu. Karena saya fokus karirnya berkaitan sama persampahan, kelebihan Jepang ini jadi nilai plus untuk saya pertimbangkan sebagai lokasi master saya. Meskipun orang Jepang sendiri bilang sistem daur ulang negara-negara EU lebih baik - dan memang iya - tapi saya tidak menyesal memilih kuliah di sini. Justru dari sistem Jepang yang kurang di sana-sini, saya belajar banyak.

Setelah dilihat-lihat, alasan saya memilih Jepang lebih banyak non-akademisnya daripada akademisnya ya? Tapi ini juga penting lho, dalam memilih lokasi sekolah. Sebaik-baiknya sebuah kampus, kalau kita nggak nyaman sama negaranya, bagaimana mau belajar? Saya bersyukur bisa sekolah di Jepang, merasakan perubahan musim di sini (sekarang masuk musim ketiga!), dan mengalami berbagai hal-hal baru yang saya percaya, semuanya akan ada manfaatnya suatu hari nanti.

Love,

One might wonder why my first post about a city in Japan is about Tsukuba, of all places that I've been. You can say I found inspiration to write about simple things in life that you may only appreciate  when you live in such solitude.  I've been living in Tsukuba for one month now, and will stay here until the next two weeks. Let's find out what I experience here.

Those days working (learning?) 9 to 5

I have my internship in AIST (National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology), one of Japan research institute. Since it's a research institute, and I'm not conducting any experiment, you may guess what did I do for daily work: yup, reading lots of journals. This may sounds boring, but since I love reading, I didn't mind at all. It's just that it less challenging and I personally think that I don't have to sit in front of computer the whole day if I only need to read (oh, and summarise). It's been a long time since I have a 9 to 5 work (literally). Sometimes I feel sorry because I miss a chance to have a nice afternoon reading in a beautiful park nearby when the weather was good.

Those time ungratefully regretting my past decision

Why I didn't fight more to have my internship in my (other) purposed place? (Since my first choice rejected me because they can't speak english) Why I have to go with sensei's recommendation? This regret comes up every now and then, a very ungrateful thinking. Despite of everything, in AIST actually I have a very nice supervisor, who apparently successfully connect me with all recycling plants I want to visit due to his connection from previous work, although his daily works now has no connection with my research. He is also a nice person to talk about anything, from the real situation of waste management in Japan to the difference of culture and modern society behaviour. And because his research is about recycling of a material that I've just know exist when I start my internship, I learn a lot about new things. The most important thing is I was provided a time to focus learning to prepare my research. A time that I might not have if I have busy daily work in other institution.

Those days doing shopping only because that's all the entertainment I have

Usually, on weekend I always have a plan with friends - whether here in Tsukuba when No-chan still around or in Tokyo with other Indonesian. But there was once in a long weekend, when my plan to Tokyo was cancelled and I chose to just have my me-time in Tsukuba. And it turns out to be a very wrong choice, because even though I am an introvert, spending 3 days alone with no one to talk to except the receptionist is just too lonely. I end up went to malls and shop some groceries and... clothes. Now I know that sometimes money can buy happiness. Especially when you are lonely.

Those days cooking 2 times a day

Back then in Kyoto, I also often cook to save money and to make sure I eat halal food. But, in Kyoto I didn't necessarily follow a recipe step-by-step, and I didn't try to cook new things - well, maybe only a few - and there's always university cafetaria and restaurants nearby to have your lunch/dinner. But here in Tsukuba, since I hardly know any place to eat (and it's very few around my place though), I have to cook every day. I've been trying 12 new recipes, from miso soup to vegetarian burger. It was a nice experiment! Most of them ended as a delicious food. However, my opinion might be subjective, I will need others to judge :p

Those weather forecast I watched every morning

Since I'm staying in a hotel room where they provide a TV, I experience how Japanese channel is like. Based on my observation, apparently Japanese are obsessed with weather forecasting and food tasting. Roger.

Those anime I watched although I barely understand the story

Who will pass to watch anime in the country where it was born? Of course it's not me. I watch Doraemon and Shinchan every Friday, Conan every Saturday, and One Piece every Sunday. And there are some other anime too, in a very random schedule. By random I mean it can just pop up on weekdays, unlike in Indonesia where anime always shown on weekends.

Those nice time I spent on the park

Tsukuba has a lot of nice park. Near my place there is Doho Park, where I often do my running/jogging time. They have a running tracks, something that I really appreciate - a proper track to run. My last running track was Sabuga in Bandung. There is also Akatsuka Park, where I once worked on my study while enjoying a beautiful afternoon. The park has table and bench, so it's a really comfortable place to work with a refreshing view.

That day I climbed for the first time

I've been always wanted to climb a mountain, but in Indonesia my parents not allow me to. Finally here in Japan I did it! I climbed Mt. Tsukuba, a nice place for a beginner like me. It has 2 tops, Nyotai-san (877m) and Nyantai-san (871m). I climbed both. Please note that climbing mountain in Japan is very different with climbing mountain in Indonesia. Here, they provide a really good infrastructure and facility, although I am not saying the track was easy (they have many rocks there). And I was climbing with my not-so-appropriate-shoes. But again it was fun! Thanks to No-chan who accompanied me :)

And that is all my summary from my daily life in Tsukuba. A quiet science city, where I found the meaning of lonely and where I experience homesick for both Kyoto and Indonesia for the first time. But I am grateful to have my time here, to learn to appreciate simple thing, to cook new things, and to have time to learn what I've been wanted to when I have no time to. I still here for next two weeks, but since I'll be away for lots of site visit, I might just say it now - thank you, Tsukuba. I hope one day if I may come here again you will be more lively than before!

Love,