Leipzig Invasion

Dress// Batik (secondhand); Bolero// Geela; Leggings// Mangga Dua; Bag// secondhand; Shoes// Kaufland

Liebe Leser und Leserinnen, ich freue mich jetzt schon euch zu sagen, dass Firu endlich bei mir ist! Man, oh, man! Bin total fröhlich. Wie ich euch erzählt habe, war ich in Kassel bis letztem Wochenende. Am Samstag bin ich in Halle angekommen und am Sonntag kam er plötzlich. Das war zwei Tage vor unserem Jahrestag. Oh, Gott, könnt ihr euch's wirklich nicht vorstellen, wie ich mich gefühlt habe. Aber ich spreche darüber später weiter. Also nach unserem Jahrestag sind wir nach Leipzig gefahren. Da habe ich ihm gebeten, Fotos von mir zu machen. Wir haben eigentlich nicht so viel gesehen, nur die Messehallen, die Thomaskirche und das Völkerschlachtdenkmal. Natürlich, außer den Geschäften. Dieses Outfit habe ich getragen. Dieses Batik-Kleid war das zweite, das ich von Ervina gekriegt habe. Ich finde es besonders süß und geeignet für Dates. Viele haben auch mich deswegen angeguckt.

My beloved readers, I am very excited to announce to you all, that Firu is finally with me! Man, oh man! I am ever so ecstatic. Like I told you all, I was in Kassel until last weekend. On Saturday I arrived in Halle and on Sunday he came unannounced. It was two days before our anniversary. Oh, God, you can't imagine just how I felt. But I will talk more about that later. Okay, so after our anniversary, we went to Leipzig. There I begged him to take pictures of me. We didn't see a lot actually, just the convention halls, Thomas Church and the Monument to the Battle of the Nations. Aside from the stores, of course. I was wearing this outfit then. This batik dress is the second one that I got from Ervina. I find it especially adorable and appropriate for dates. Many have turned their heads at me thanks to it.

Longsleeve// Number61; Jeans// unbranded; Watch// Sony Ericsson; Shoes// Asics

Also so ging das: ich war noch zu Hause. Die Zeit war gegen 19 Uhr. Ich habe mit Firu durch Handys gechattet. Er hat mir gesagt, dass er nach Hause ging. Nach einigen Minuten hat er mir gefragt, wie man zu meiner Wohnung klingeln konnte. Ich antwortete ihm mit dem Gefühl, dass er vor meiner Tür war. Ich rannte zu ihm sofort aber bevor ich mit dem Aufzug fahren konnte, kam er schon mit dem Aufzug, seine Taschen in Hand. Ich war einfach sprachlos. Nach dem haben wir so viel getan wie viele Monaten früher: Kochen, Einkaufen, Quatschen, Spaziergang, Musikhören. Ich fühle mich wie diese 5 Monaten nicht passiert sind. Leider ist er gar nicht von Kameras gewöhnt, dass Fotos von ihm fast unmöglich zu machen. Aber das ist genau mein Firu ♥

Okay, so here's how it went: I was still at home. The time was around 7 PM. I was chatting with Firu through our phones. He told me that he was going home. A few minutes passed and he asked me, how to ring the bell to my home. I answered him, feeling that he was already in front of my door. I ran to him in a flash but before I could get to the elevator, he came with the elevator already, his bags in hand. I was simply speechless. After that we have done so many things just like many months before: cooking, grocery shopping, talking, taking walks, listening to music. I feel like the last 5 months haven't happened at all. Too bad he's not used to cameras, that taking his photos pushes close to impossible. But that is exactly my Firu ♥

Firu ist einfach kein Abenteurer also es ist zu schwierig, ihn anzulocken, raus zu gehen. Aber nach vielen Versuchen habe ich es geschafft. Der Hauptpunkt dieses Dates ist das Völkerschlachtdenkmal. Ich selbst war schon mal hier im Januar. Das war völlig schneereich. Es sah überhaupt wie ein Winterwunderland aus. Super toll! Aber nach meinem ersten Besichtigung habe ich den Park im Sommer auf einer Postkarte gesehen und war total süchtig, es im Sommer zu besichtigen. Schade, wir haben nicht so viele Fotos gemacht. Aber das war hoffentlich nur einer unserer vielen Abenteuer. Mein Sommer hat wirklich nur gerade angefangen. Genieß den Sonntag, alle! Tschüss!

Firu is just no adventurer so it is too hard to try and get him out of the house. But after many tries I've finally managed to do it. The main point of this date is the Monument of the Battle of the Nations. I myself have been here in January. It was fully snowy. It looked a whole lot like a winter wonderland. Super cool! But after that I saw the park in summer on a postcard and was totally drooling over visiting it in summer. Too bad we didn't take that many photos. But that was hopefully only out of our many, many adventures to come. My summer has seriously only just begun. Enjoy the Sunday, all! Cheerio!

One Girl's Trash is Another Girl's Treasure

Letzte Woche habe ich die Zeit in Kassel verbracht, indem ich bei Rezy übernachtet habe. Mein erster Grund dahin zu fahren war einfach eine Besichtigung durchzuführen, damit ich eine Wohnung mit ihm finden konnte. Das war eigentlich nur eine Zwischenmiete bei anderen Indonesier, die im August nach Hause fliegen wollen. Wir haben es schon erledigt. Also wollte ich mich auch an der Universität Kassel bewerben und das dauerte ein bisschen länger als was ich gedacht habe, deswegen bin ich da insgesamt fünf Tage geblieben. Ich habe so viel Zeit mit Rezy und Vina verbracht und das hat mich wirklich befreiet. Insbesondere, dass Vina letzten Mittwoch nach Hause gefahren ist.  An meinem letzten Tag sind wir nach Göttingen gefahren, weil Rezy sich da bewerben wollte. Ich fuhr mit, weil ich gehört habe, dass es in Göttingen ein KFC-Restaurant gibt. Dann los ging's. 

I spent last week in Kassel by sleeping over at Rezy's house. My first reason to go there was actually to  take a look around my future home, so that I could find a home with Rezy. It was only a temporary sublet from other Indonesians, who want to fly home in August. We have accomplished it. Also, I wanted to apply to Kassel University and that took more time than I have thought, that's why I stayed for a total of five days. I've spent so much time with Rezy and Vina and that totally set me free. Especially that Vina already flew home last Wednesday. On my last day there we went to Göttingen, because Rezy wanted to apply there. I came along because I heard that there's a KFC-branch in Göttingen. Away we went.

Dress// Batik (secondhand); Blazer// H&M (borrowed); Bag// secondhand; Shoes// secondhand

Göttingen ist ja eine kleine Stadt, die nicht so weitweg von Kassel liegt. Vina und Rezy können sogar mit ihrem Semestertickets dahin Semesterlang fahren. Ich sollte aber ein neues Ticket dazu kaufen. Am erstens gingen wir in die Uni, sodass Rezy sich bewerben konnte. Wir hatten aber keine Ahnung wo alles war und die beide haben ihren Freund, Rendy, angerufen. Er wohnt da und weißt schon wohin wir gehen mussten. Nach der Bewerbung war es schon Mittag. Also fuhren wir ins KFC zum Essen. Wir haben viel geredet und gegessen, so viel dass wir uns nicht gut bewegen konnten. Nach dem Mittagessen fuhren wir zurück zum Stadtzentrum, um spazieren zu gehen. Göttingen war wirklich klein aber fein. Wir haben nun nur Geschäfte und so was gesehen aber die Struktur der Stadt war schon toll. Rezy hat nichts bereut, in Göttingen zu studieren. 

Göttingen ist a small town, that is located not so far away from Kassel. Vina and Rezy can even go there with their semester tickets all semester long. But I had to buy a new ticket to do so. Firstly, we went to the Uni so that Rezy can apply there. We had no clue where anything was and they called their friend, Rendy. He lives there and already knows where we had to go. After the applying, it was already noon. So we went to KFC to eat. We talked and ate a lot -- Rendy even got two free wings, so many that we couldn't really move afterward. After lunch we went back to town to just walk around. Göttingen was really small but pretty. We've only seen stores and the like but the structure of the town was already awesome. Rezy regretted nothing having to study there.

Während ich in Kassel war, habe ich Vina mit der Aufräumung ihres Zimmers geholfen. Sie hat wirklich so viele Sachen und Kleidungen. Während der Aufräumung hat sie mir zwei Kleider, die Batik sind, und ein Paar Schuhe gegeben. Oh, vielen Dank, Vina! Ich freue mich wirklich darüber! Ich hatte zurzeit nur zwei Outfits dabei und sie hat mir gesagt, eins ihrer Kleider anzuziehen. Das war dieses. Ich fühle mich aber wie ein Aasgeier. Nun Entschuldigung. Sie hat mir wirklich zu viel schon gegeben. Aber danke! Kassel und Göttingen waren auch unglaublich kalt und ich habe keine Jacke mitgebracht. Also Vina hat mir ihren Blazer ausgeliehen. Ich kann das aufbewahren bis sie nach Deutschland wieder kommt. Das war meine Woche. Schönes Wochenende! Tschüss!

While I was in Kassel, I helped Vine clean up her room. She has really a lot of things and clothes. During the cleaning she gave me two dresses -- which were both batik -- and a pair of shoes. Oh, heaps of thanks, Vina! I'm supercalifraglistic excited about this! I only had two outfits with me then and she told me to put on one of her dresses. That was this one. But I feel somewhat like a scavenger. Uhh...sorry. She has seriously given me too many things already. But thanks! If you want it back,  you can always tell me. Kassel and Göttingen were also unbelievably cold and I didn't bring any jackets with me. So Vina lent me one of her blazers. I can keep it until she flies back to Germany. That was my week. Have a lovely weekend! Cheerio!

God Doesn't Come When You Call Him But When You Need Him

Top// cotton club; Skirt// flea market; Bag// Gift; Belt// Colloseum; Boots// kleider kreisel

Vor einigen Tagen habe ich diese Tipps von Elsie über Photo Editing gesehen. Sofort habe ich die Methoden ausprobiert. Die Ergebnisse sind wie die meisten dieser Fotos. Aber draus habe ich auch andere Methoden herausgefunden. Na, also ich war auch noch in Kassel während dieser Fotos. Aber an diesem Tag hatte ich frei und die Fotos selber gemacht. In Kassel gab es -- also bisher noch -- die documenta Ausstellung, die ich leider nicht gesehen habe. Deswegen gab es viele Ausländer und Touristen. Einer der Ausländer hat der Löwen-Statue gesehen und mir auf Englisch gefragt ob der übertrieben oder wirklich so groß war. Ich hab mit ihm einfach unterhaltet und das war's, sagte er tschüss und wegging. Ich finde das bequem von Westlichen. Die sind so locker und können Smalltalk machen ohne es zu verlängern und lassen es nicht zu lang zu sein. Hier könnt ihr den zweiten Rock sehen, den ich auf dem Flohmarkt gekauft habe. Er ist eigentlich 3 Größen zu groß aber mit dem Gürtel geht alles schon. Na, wundervollen Donnerstag! Tschüss!

A few days ago I stumbled upon these tips from Elsie about photo editing. Right away I tried out the methods. The results can you see from most of these photos. But from them I managed to develop new methods of my own. Now, so I was also still in Kassel when I took these photos. But on this day I had nothing to do and took the photos by myself. In Kassel there was -- well, until now still -- the documenta exhibition, that I sadly have yet to see. That's why there were many foreigners and tourists. One foreigner saw the lion statue and asked me in English whether it was exaggerated or really that huge. I just humoured him and that was that, he said bye and walked away. I find it very comfortable of the Westerners. They are so loose and can make small talks without having to prolong it or let it get too long for comfort. Here you can see the second skirt that I bought at the flea market. It's actually 3 sizes too big but with a belt, everything goes. Now then, have a wonderful Thursday! Cheerio!

Love Without Pain is Like Cacti Without Spines

Tee// deviantART; Vest// Thrifted; Skirt// flea market; Boots// kleider kreisel; Bag// gift

Jetzt bin ich total verwirrt, weil ich einfach nichts zu sagen habe. Letzte Woche hab ich bei meinem Freund, Rezy, übernachtet. Das war wirklich toll. Ich hatte einfach Pause von Einsamkeit und Ruhe, alle die ich nur in Halle habe. Eigentlich wollte ich nur ein Paar Tage in Kassel bleiben aber irgendwie ging alle schief und ich blieb fünf Tage da. Bevor ich nach Kassel gefahren bin, bin ich zu einem Flohmarkt gegangen und zwei süße Röcke und einen geblümte Top gefunden. Eins trage ich hier. Ich mag diese Kombination, weil sie cool aussieht aber auch ganz feminin. Pass auf! Ich finde die Posten diese Woche werden meistens von Kassel sein. Übrigens, heute ist meine beste Freundin Ginas Geburtstag! Sie ist endlich 20! Alles Gute, Kumpel! Glanzenden Mittwoch noch. Tschüss!

Now I'm totally confused because I simply don't have anything to say. Last week I slept over at my friend, Rezy's house. It was really awesome. I just had a break from loneliness and silence, all that I only have in Halle. Actually I only wanted to stay over for a couple days but somehow everything went wrong and I stayed for five days there. Before I took a trip to Kassel, I went to a flea market and found two cute skirts and one floral top. One of them I'm wearing here. I adore this combination because it looks so cool yet also very feminine. Keep an eye out! I think this week's posts will mostly be from Kassel. By the way, today is my best friend, Gina's birthday! She is finally 20! The best of luck, pal! Have a sparkling midweek! Cheerio!

Once Upon A Time...

...there was a guy and there was a girl. They were both in high school and didn't know each other. One day they saw a seminar that changed their lives forever, little did they know. The seminar was of a management that would help them study in Germany. The guy (Firdaus) was the first one ever in that city to apply for this management. Months later the girl (Bivi a.k.a. me) did the same thing. After Iedul Fitri 2009 (around October), she actually joined the class which Firdaus was in as well. She formally got introduced to the members of the class, including him. Around that time she still had feelings for another guy, kept in touch with him and the connection between Bivi and Firdaus was lost.

They went to their german class regularly after school since then on. Bivi was a lazy bum though, so she skipped a lot of classes back then. They were supposed to keep doing this until the green light was given that they could finally apply for passports, which meant they would be leaving the country soon. Now, a few days before this passport-applying day, they had their so-called 'final test.' After the test, Bivi didn't feel so good, kind of feverish, she thought, but what turned out to be some kind of weird virus with red spots appearing on her skin and everything. The next day, while she went to the doctor, Firdaus went to class and received news that they would all be going to apply for passports the following week. The next week, they all went to apply for passports, except for Bivi. Firdaus was only 16 back then -- one last year being a minor in Indonesia -- and apparently he needed some parental permits of some sort to apply for passports so he had to go back the next day for the exact same process he went through that day. Oh, Fate and they way it works!

On the third day, Bivi was already healthy enough to go out -- although it wasn't such a weakening sickness, it was kind of a fun although highly contagious virus -- and Firdaus needed to go back and wait in line all over again to hand in his documents. How perfect it was too that, other than those two, the others had gone through this process...so they were left alone. Luckily they have some things in common -- at the time, they didn't know that some turned out to be MANY -- so they just chatted and chatted and didn't even realise that they had been waiting forever. Secretly, they have both thought of that moment as their starting point.

Okay, don't judge me. But back then Bivi had her own personal driver -- well, not exactly, but I needed him more than any other member of my family -- and around a week after the passport-making, he quit his job. He was like a best friend to her since they spent way too much time together, being stuck in traffic jam and all. Anyway, he used to be the one to take her from and to her german classes. Now that he had quit, she was somewhat lost on transportation system. In the morning, her dad could drop her off before work, but she didn't know how to get home. Her friend, Farida, suggested hitching a ride with their friend, Aqbas. Oh, that worked out real nice...for like a day! The next day Aqbas didn't show up and Bivi was turning her brain over on who to hitch a ride with, to which Farida suggested Firdaus. Back then, by his words and his gestures, Bivi suspected that he had feelings for her -- which she waved off quickly because..please. In the end, Firdaus ended up taking her all the way home -- she was going to hitch a ride until the nearest bus stop -- after knowing that his way home passed by her house.

After that ride, Bivi texted Firdaus and they chatted all night. It became a routine of theirs for two weeks. During these two weeks, Bivi had become closer to Firdaus than any other members of the class. One day she confirmed that Firdaus, indeed, had kept feelings for her. It somewhat caught her off guard because this almost never happened to her before. She has told him all her flaws and still he wanted her. Oh, damn, even typing it makes me blush. It was bored in her mind that this is a chance of a lifetime. When else was she going to find someone who loved her even after knowing who she really was? She found herself thinking more and more of him. Then, one day, on 17 July 2010, they chatted online...and she asked him out, Well, not like a question...more like a friendly invitation. "Let's!"

Two years have passed and a lot has happened. They have met each others' parents. They have FINALLY flown to Germany and started a brand new life there. They have lived together for about 7 months in Karlsruhe -- all of which have been much beloved by me. They have worked together in a foreign city for a whole of a month. They have taken trips together. They have dipped their feet on the pool that is long distance relationship -- although it was still the same time zone -- since she moved to Halle. And a longer distance relationship for a whole of two months when Firdaus went back to Indonesia. Sure, we're not married yet. Sure, we're still kids. But we will pursue our dreams side by side. I was once told that true love doesn't mean keeping our eyes on each other. Instead, we keep our eyes on the same goal. A little tips for young lovers out there.

I don't want to be cliché about this but I've learnt a lot from our relationship. Back before having this relationship, I used to be a girl who thought being in a relationship is gooey. With the kissing-kissing and the 'I wovey dovey wove you' and the 'I miss you already' and the...oh, all those goeey stuff. Sure, now I probably do that too in my private time -- not in front of people because I still think it's gooey -- but a relationship, it turns out, can be whatever we want. Did i forget to mention? This is the very first  relationship I have ever had -- and it's also Firu's first. It has been really magical and made us grow. Here's to another lifetime of happiness. Cheerio!