Uyuni Salt Lake

Today, I went to LABO5 again after yesterday's enrollment procedure to meet my tutor. Yes, I have a tutor to help me with difficult things, and each of international student in laboratory should have one ne. And its very nice to have someone i know before to be my tutor, indeed she is very nice person. She helped me with some document filling, but I got stuck on something that make me can't continue the procedure about many things, guarantor, enrolment, japanese course, so nothing much i did today, just fill out some documents, and paid for the student insurance. 

I talked a quite a lot with my tutor, Nagai Asami, Nagai-san. And also many people came today to the laboratory, people from the pas ;) Eguchi, Shun, Yamada, Nanako-san. Greeted them again was nice, I can also found some difference like hair cut and also some face changing a bit, hehe. And what I want to share, is Nagai-san's experience. She traveled to Peru and Bolivia, and just got back yesterday. And I asked her to share her experience, she show me the pic of Machu Pichu, Peru the one that I know is very cool place to visit, and another cool place that I never know, even never heard before is,

Uyuni Salt Lake, Bolivia.

She said it was a salt on the surface with the sea water on the below. Sounds a bit dangerous. But the pic she shown to me was very beautiful. It is one of the natural wonders of the world, but why I just know about it :p She told me that she visited there on the dry season, and, it will look like this,

http://www.rutaverdebolivia.com/Uyuni%20Salt%20Lake%202.jpg

I told her that it looks like a concrete, very artistic nah. And this one is the Uyuni's sunset:

http://www.juliahoteluyuni.com/img/9.jpg

But on the wet season, when the rain comes, that place will be look like this :

http://i.huffpost.com/gen/1077988/images/o-UYUNI-SALT-FLATS-facebook.jpg

It looks like a giant mirror! Awesome even on the pic, and automatically, 行きたいと言って I really want to go!! X( Even Nagai-san also wants to go there once more on the wet season.

And many cool and cute pics found from google:

http://api.ning.com/files/DtcI2O2Ry7DODUFco8WL-6UFt8Ih2NivFT-Y-kKrxnFdhpWZFk8lpAfmX3DpPlFr50l9DR9hCeqSf*amZ8Dx-m7AvbG1dC-1/1082100795.jpeg

https://skittledip.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/img_1014.jpg

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/f7/c3/83/f7c38375f875831662695567fde428c1.jpg

http://www.bambaexperience.com/recursos/Services/1167/galeria/MG7815.jpg

http://www.onlyone.travel/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/IMG_0885.jpg

Nagai-san told me that it's hard trip to go there, she needs to change 4 times of flight, because there is no direct flight from Osaka to Peru. And, she also took a really small plane, which is very not comfortable. But it was worth to visit even the travel was hard, she said. 

Thanks Nagai-san for sharing ;)

#4 もう変わった！LABO5 Osaka University

Monday, 28 September.

Today is my first time touch down Osaka University again. I went to S1 building of Global Architecture Division for meeting my assistant professor, Itami-sensei. Don't ask me again, how it felt when I rode my bike to the same road to the university. 懐かしい。

But, good news to tell, the building was change! もう変わった! I already heard before from my professor, so not so shocked, but the changing of the building gave me an exciting feeling :' It's renovated from the old building to the new one :D All the structure and layout are still the same, but they changed the facade and all interior to be the new one! That's good feeling when I get on the elevator, exciting to see how's the Laboratory will look like. Let's see!

Tara!

And, these are the old facade,

Bonus: the same benches area near the canteen.

Btw, the weather in Osaka is hot. Tokyo already rain. But Osaka looks like summer isn't end yet. 2 years ago I arrived  exactly in the same period as now, and before the weather is feels like autumn is coming. But NOW oh oh, too bright, but the wind is chotto cold.

And, this one is the old lab entrance,

The new one.

The old laboratory, 

and the new one :

Okay, you may can't define the differences of the old and new lab, yeah me too get so shocked because the studio is so messy even with the new wall and ceiling and flooring HAHA. And I like the layout from before better than now, where there is a special space on the corner separated with book shelves for tatami living room set and kitchen.

Well, today, not so many people there, because it's still holiday. I only met some undergraduates who were doing their studio there, and 2 laboratory members. And they're new face for me, Akao-san and Kimura -san :') Nice to see new faces. And I done my things for enrollment and co-op housing contract, accompanied by Itami-sensei. I can't say it done though, cos after that they give me many task to do, document to fill in, and many more

Enrollment, Insurances to join (3 offers), Nihongo Course to Join (3 offers), some notification for medical check up, orientation and others. And i haven't go to city hall and open the bank account yet though :(

My sensei said, "Looks like you will get to be busy for the next couple days". Really nice saying ne :)

And today's afternoon, 6.15 exactly at the promised time, my Japanese father, Okamoto-otousan stop by the house to meet me and Tsutsumi-san. He acted like my own father that entrusted his own daughter to the house owner. He also brought 3 boxes of mine from a year ago. My winter things there! :) He also said he will come to the Indonesian art performance, and he invited me to the Lets Talk Japanese welcome party next week, HAHA. Exciting!

#3 Indonesian Family

September 27. Sunday.

太陽の家-MAFGA

Okay, before we talk about the Indonesian Family, let me share some tips, based on my own experience problems about :
How to unlock the suitcase that doesn't want to unlock when you already sure the PIN is correct? and

How to open the locked suitcase with padlock when you lost the key?

If you need to quickly open the suitcase, This may be answer the questions!

I used the spoon to forced open the head zipper, then pull out the head zipper handle from the head. The handle will stay on there, but you can open the suitcase!

This broken main lock is no problem, but I lost the padlock key of the front side of the suit case, nothing much in there (there are bag, stationery and some material for scrap), 

but because i already intend to throw this suitcase away, I decided to broke and open the suitcase, by, forced open the zipper with knife, haha. The zipper was broken, the padlock's still there, but I can see my belongings again :)

After force-unlocked my suitcase, I can eat and changing clothes comfortably. Then, because i have many spare time on Sunday that day, I decided to join Osaka-Nara Indonesian Community (PPI ON) event at Taiyou no Ie 太陽の家, Oonohara. When I first arrived at the meeting place, I just realized,  AH I've been there before! But with Faye, Kat, Tao and Stef to the Filipino Party :D Hol, that weird feeling came once more!

Home made food!

The people came much more than the pic i took :p idk why it looks so empty on the pic

Many cute babies there!

And this one, just to recall a year ago Filipino Party memory;)

After took a lunch, half of the people (young one) went away to MAFGA, for Indonesian art performance practice. MAFGA looks like a place that rent for study or meeting or practice or class or other similar activities. I didnt take many pics, but I really enjoying their practice for the Ramayana Play (conduct in Japanese), Jaipong dance and Angklung instrument :D 

It's so fancy of PPI ON that we can hold such a big event! Proud of US even though I can't join the perform, I will help and support them this year, next year I may join :)

Angklung practice

So, talking about this event, let me share this event' poster for you ;)

Please be sure to Join if possible for you!

I think meeting the Indonesian friends are really good choice. Instead of just laying down lazily on weekend, at least once a week I can speak my mother language freely :p On the 6 months I lived before in Japan, i only once join Indonesian event hehe but since i get the second chance, I will try as best as i can to participate now! And yeah, on that occasion I met some girls, was enjoying chatting and one of them Dinda, her name, is living in Tsukumodai Dorm, haha envy for her but yeah so someday I can surely visit Tsukumodai :)

#2 Hello Osaka! Tsutsumi Dorm 堤蒋

Well, I will catch up my 3 days stories now.

September 26. Saturday.

Touch down Osaka. The 懐かしい (re:natsukashii, nostalgic) feeling came over me when I get off from Osaka Monorail to Yamada Station. But the weird feeling also came over. Then after that even though I only have hand carry bag with me (no suitcases), im so tired and i dont want to take a risk so i decided to take taxi to the accommodation.

Before starting the problem story in Osaka, i would to share about yesterday's problem story.

Yesterday's problem story, about over luggage, already resolved thanks to Kuroneko Yamato, the package company, and Irkham-san, Ito-san, Mba Kholis that helped us to send our luggage to our city. And, sending all of my luggage was the best option, its more than worth-ed :)

Find this corner at the airport or around city center

My luggage

So why it's worth?

1. Its cheap, I sent 2 big suitcases - around 20kgs each - and I only spent 3,688JPY for it, comparing to IF i pay for Japan Airlines overweight fees - 500JPY/kg x 30kg = 15,000JPY! I already save 11,000JPY :D and they didn't measure the kg, i think they just count the amount of suitcases.
2. Its fast! I sent my luggage from Haneda Airport at 10 AM Saturday, and Sunday morning 9 AM my suitcases already arrived. You can also choose the best time for you to receive you package, and they can keep your belongings up to 7 days.

Okay, sounds like i advertising it too much :p Ah then, from Haneda Airport, 3 of us separated. We start our own journey from that time!

Yeah! Osaka. My first story is, why I cant update? Because I have no electricity for my laptop. 

I have experience before, 6 months i lived here, I prepared for it, I bought the plugin from Indonesia though. Yes it can fit my phone charger, but no use for my laptop charger, my laptop charger was too big for the plugin, and I went to all stores that some people recommended me, DAISO, コーナン, i bought plugin but still no use :( 

Today, fortunately, the very nice house owner, 堤さん (Tsutsumi-san or Obaa-san), have a friend/neighbor that have a big hole of the same plugin. He gave the plugin to me as present :) Honestly its not that fit, but it totally work for my laptop charger! Thankyou Tsuda-san and Obaa-san! 

Talk about her, yes, she is very very very nice. I don't know whether she is also nice to other girls that live in the house or not, or because my Japanese Father is also her friend? She gave me many things, she loves to talk (in fast Japanese of course), very cheerful, energetic, and i'm shocked when she said she is 80-something years old. She gave me fan to save up money for the air-con, because now the weather is not so hot but not so cold too. She gave me many basket, a kitchen utensils and seasoning, she gave me the iron, and she also lend me her BIKE to use everyday! *IDK how to explain her kindness*

And she has very beautiful Japanese House, which i live in with other 5 girls. It's kind of shared house. The first floor is Obaa-san's house, and the second floor is for rental. The kitchen, toilet, bathroom, laundry machine are shared. And the room is not so small, not so big. Fit for me. It also fully furnished with pretty bamboo furniture, air-con, refrigerator and bed with futon. In the other say, i don;t need to buy anything. In additon, she keeps asking to me "Anything else you need? No need to buy, I will give it to you." Very nice until i think that i may live here until the end :)

The rent is also affordable. For Minamisenri-Yamada area, 29,000JPY +7,000 (water and gas fees) i think is make sense. Internet is Wi-Fi! (This point is so much better than Tsukumodai Dorm, hehe), 2,000JPY/month, and plus electricity fees depends on the used every month. So total will be around 40,000JPY (all in). With the same price you may get only room with no furniture and exclude water gas fees in the area near campus.

About the housemates, I only met 2 of them because now is still holiday. One is Chinese, and one is Korean that her family come for travel. Comparing to Tsukumodai Dorm, that only separate some meters from my current house, I will love to live with many other people like in Tsukumodai Dorm, but the girls here are also nice and the house is very comfy plus Obaa-san that very very nice, so somehow I will really living it :)

stairs to Tsukumo Park

Bright blue bicycle that obaa-san lend me to use everyday, and the bike has 2 basket :"

The back side of Tsukumodai Dorm that seen from Kitchen or bathroom or toilet of the house:( 

When I first saw it, i realized it may bad idea to live really close to this dorm, Haha I became chotto sad, weird, mixed feeling came. All the memories playback and i miss the time with my dearest friends there. But,

They still be my friends until now so nothing to be sad about, and I also already have some links to be connect again to that dorm HAHA there are some Indonesian girls that I met yesterday living on the dorm, plus Okamoto-san, my Japanese Father asked me to join Let's Talk Japanese, which is the activity for the dorm's resident. I wonder when i will have my comeback there?