Flying Back :)

Another hi and another sorry since I've been away from this blog for nearly a month. This past few weeks had been a really really busy period for me and now I'm already back to my homeland, Indonesia. I landed safe and sound in Yogyakarta my favorite city, several days ago. And yes, with a mixed feeling and the undeniable reverse culture shock. As well as the temperature shock. 

Getting off form the plane, too many differences welcomed me. No more Japanese characters as long as I set my sight (those characters always managed to make me dizzy during my first weeks of living there and now, ironically I had to go home when I already got accustomed to them). No more crowd mumbling in Japanese. No more people dressing like what they want. No more vending machines in every corner of every place. And there will be still a lot of "no more-s" to tell. But hey! I gotta be happy because I met my family and old friends already and they're so kind as ever to pick me up at the airport.

Around a year in Japan, to study and to experience zillions of new things, going back home ain't an easy deal for me. Ain't easy at all, I suppose. Leaving all the customs and habits, the people, the air.. and of course all my best friends. Either the Japanese ones or the other foreign students. But I believe in the power of best friends and reunion. Once we were brought together, no matter how, when and where we will  surely reunite. I can't wait to meet them again in this near future or just.. in anytime! 

Till the time we meet, I hope you guys are always be in good health and loaded with happiness and strength to face everything. I can't express how grateful I am to be the part of this friendship and you guys to be the part of my life. <3

at Yokohama City Air Terminal (YCAT) before leaving for Narita Airport. Left to right; Suzuki-san, me, Li Getsuyou-senpai, Maru-chan and Dominika

I can't thank Suzuki-san, Dominika, Li-senpai and Maru for staying at the terminal until my bus departed. Also, without them I wouldn't be able to bring all of my luggages (two suitcases and two handbags) safely until the terminal. I wanted to send those goods to the airport two days before my flight but heavy snow ruined my plan heartlessly. But thank god, I have angels like them that helped me a lot.  Ah , I miss them so much. They've been so kind to me every time. I wish that I can be a good friend for them too. And I can't describe how I really want to meet them right now.

I was so happy to be able to leave Japan on the same date with Maru. We went to different airports though. I left for Narita Airport while Maru to Haneda Airport. It's been a really great friendship ever since we met in April. We had been in ups and downs for this several months but we stay to support each other. I doubt that I could meet a kind person like Maru for twice, so I'll keep her forever as my best friend. We even planned to come to each other's country on the next holiday. I can't waittt because it's gonna be fun ! Oh wait, we also planned to join Dominika to go to Myanmar to meet Lin. And there are still many other plans set to get back together. I also pray for my reunion with my cute American girl, Whitney. I'll put effort to make it all true !

My last breakfast before I flew back. Tully's Coffee's french toasts were so delicious, moreover to be paired with that Matcha Latte. I swear. 

My flight time was changed 10 minutes earlier

I left Japan after heavy snowy days. I worried if my flight was gonna be canceled due to the weather but fortunately everything went flawlessly. You can still spot the snow that covered the land of Chiba Prefecture, where Narita airport is located. 

I stopped staring at the window as the plane was getting higher, made saw nothing but this field of puffy clouds. Bye bye for awhile Japan, till I come to you again, soon ! <3

4233 meters of distance had been passed smoothly. Temperature of 31 degress celcius embraced me tightly and force me to take off my coat. 

"Welcome home"

Anyway, even though I'm home already now, but I will still blog about my experiences in Japan since I still got tons of photos and stories to share. Gonna be back soon with my snowy stories in Hokkaido. Make sure you won't miss it, see ya ! ;)

xx,

Shabrina

Happy Two Decades of Life (Part II)

Tadaa! still about my birthday vibe, people! haha. I decided to divide it into two posts since I thought that you can read it easily without being bored with too long article (haha no, the main reason is that yesterday afternoon I went to Yokohama to watch Firework party at night. It was sooo fun and amazing! I'll post the pics asap. i promise!) 

Like I've said in my previous post that I'm extremely happy to be here, surrounded by sooo many great and kind people from all around the globe. I don't know, but I could say that being here, and even could have a chance to celebrate my 20th birthday as well, are the things that formerly I'm not brave enough to imagine. In my fear, I tried to enroll a scholarship. And yes, the result is that now I'm here :)

Japan is not only a destination and not even my final goal. But it's my starting point, to dream a bigger dream.

June 3rd. Woke up in the morning, me the sleepy head was going downstairs to have breakfast along with the others in dorm's dining room. I was eating slowly since I felt like I wasn't awake yet haha. Then Hiroko, a sweet friend of mine gave me this snoopy letter! I know, it's super cute :)

I went back to my room and keenly replying the congratulations on my facebook page till not long after, someone knocked my room door. Voila! My energetic Whitney, the exchange student from Ohio, America was coming to my room with big smile on her face, congratulating me "Happy Birthday, Sabi-Chan!" and we ended up hugging each other. She gave me a beautiful Japanese traditional fabric, and wrote me a letter.. She's beyond sweetness :')

Yes, this letter written by Whitney really makes my day, even until now. And from this letter as well I entitled my blog post after :)

And here's the other gifts I received after class :) sooo happy!

From left to right: Batik wrapped gift from my Senior, Rini-Senpai (there's something uber cute in it)! , delicious Matcha snack from Machi-san, and yummy mister donut from Eri-san :) 

Cute Rillakuma pouch! >< Thank you mba Rini <3

Whitney's doughnut treat after class! :) Daisuki~ Thank you, Whitney!

Whitney, me and Eri-chan 

With Maru-chan and Eri-chan

(image courtesy: Whitney's facebook)

I always love surprises :) Got back from dining room for dinner and found something hanging on my door room. Then I opened it, and there was Cho-chan's handwriting in it ! I always love Cho-chan <3

a letter from Japan Pension Service for someone that turned twenty. There is a bundle of documents that I should fill, but since I'm quite not sure about how to fill it, I'll go to my campus office later to ask ;) 

Yeah, because my birthday was on Monday, and it was kinda impossible to celebrate it on that day, so we held a small but meaningful birthday party on last Friday Night, just like written on the white board. That's the white board in dorm's Piano Room, a room where we usually do many things together! (I'll show you the room on the next post)

These photos below were taken with Ruru's camera (exchange student from Taiwan), since I forgot to bring my camera. These are some pics of last Friday night at dorm's Dining Room! It was soooo fun!!

 (image courtesy: Ruru's Facebook page)

I'm glad I met them all :) they're best friends, family and EVERYTHING! <3

Like I've said for billion times. I'm grateful to be here.

There was the most heart touching moment. That was when the dining room was all dark and there came in front of me my birthday cake, and everybody was singing "Selamat Ulang Tahun". Yes in Bahasa! Yesss people! I'm feeling like I'm flying over happiness :') I was about to cry that time.. I didn't know at all when they practiced that song. It was a huge surprise! They sang it really good, and they must be trying so hard to memorize that song :)) 

Kyaaa! cuteness overload >< Birthday present from Ruru!  Love it :)

Cute card and Korean snack from Jung Woon (i-chan) :) me super likey!

Cute decorative soap and hair gum from Lucia! The attractive girl from Spain :) I looove her!

Yes, I guess enough for this birthday vibe post! 

I'm glad to be twenty, and I'm so ready to continue my life journey :)

Happy Monday,

Shabrina.

Welcoming June and Early Birthday Presents

Hi Everybody! :) Today is Sunday and not like usually, I stay at the dorm all day long today because lots of housework need to be accomplished as soon as possible. Oh, and how about you? Are you going out today? :)

Still can't believe it's June already! Yesterday was exactly my second month since left for my homeland, Indonesia! How time flies... yes, I've been saying it hundred times, period.

Anyway, how's your June resolutions? Have you made one? ;)
I've made some though they're not really big things but I made them in order to improve my daily-life-surviving-skill. Yeah, I know it's complicated! haha.

So, here we go my June resolutions list:

• Study more and manage to accomplish my Japanese essay (there is an essay contest held by my uni for foreign students)
• Clean my dorm room more often (yeah by the time I'm writing this post, my room condition is kinda censor-able, I swear)
• Wash my clothes twice a week (at least before they're getting as high as mount Fuji!)
• Write my daily expenditure before I go to sleep (yes, this is the most important thing, people! I often forgot to do this and it resulted on a slight crisis at the end of the month. So bad, I know -_-)
• Blogging in a regular period
• Not to be a moody one, be more thankful to God and live happier!

Well,  six points for this sixth month, wish me succeed to accomplish all of them, yosh..

Basically, I'm a structurally working person which means I always draw an outline before I start doing a project. So just like you see my resolutions above, they're gonna guide me to pass my June so that I wish I won't walk outside the path that I made. But it doesn't mean that I can't deal with spontaneity. I love something spontaneous, but still, dealing with structure always manage to make me feel secured ;)

Talking about June, this is just a day before my birthday! Gosh, today is my last day as a "teenager" since tomorrow there won't be "teen" anymore in my age. Yes people, I'm turning TWENTY! <3

Although tomorrow is my birthday, but I already received some birthday presents! haha... I bet there is nothing like "too early to be happy" right? 

As you can see from my facebook page, I already posted this photos below around 2 weeks ago. Yeah, my cute Maru-chan (exchange student from Taiwan) gave me this as a super early birthday present after our day out to Ikebukuro! Too cute to resist, isn't it? A cute "S-shaped" Kitty Charm! 

But fortunately, that sweet thing hasn't finished yet. As you can see the picture below, that cute thing hanging on my door handle was another cute thing that Maru-chan gave me last Friday night when I just got back from my uni. I found it around 9 p.m. Guess the shape, guys...

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                                                                                .

                                                                                .

                                                                                .

                                                                                .

No, it's not a chicken. That's the one who lives in a pineapple under the sea, Sponge Bob Square Pants! hahahaha >.< That cute pink balloon flower is too cute! 

Not to mention how talented she is for making me such lovely and complicated work! She said she made this for an hour and a half.. and I just can't imagine if I have to make one, perhaps I can't accomplish it even for a lifetime xP

She also wrote me a letter, it's so sweet and sincere till I can't stand my tears falling down slowly.. :) but... there is a funny story behind this early birthday present.

Maru-chan thought that my birthday party was gonna be held on that Friday night, so that's why she was so excited making the balloon as soon as she reached dorm after uni :)) Yeah, but above all I can't thank her enough for being such a nice friend for me (y). Yeah, you know I'm feeling like I'm the luckiest one.

This one below is another early birthday present I received from En-chan (exchange student from China). Isn't it uber cute?! 

That key charm above was stealthily bought at Ikebukuro too when we went there together :) Thank you very much En-Chan!! love you much <3 

Haha, what a blessed Friday night! I got two early birthday presents from my beloved girls.

And the last is a self-birthday-present ! Yeah, after 2 months of waiting finally I  got my Japanese phone! I bought it yesterday at Yodobashi Camera near Yokohama Station with my mentor, Osawa Chie. I decided to buy this pre-paid phone by softbank. It only costs 3,000,- yen/ 2 months. Though it only can be used for messaging and calling, but I think this type suits me best. The reason is because I feel reluctant to spend too much money every month for a cellphone service, since one of my goals in Japan is to travel a lot! (y)

Perhaps you're wondering why I have to wait for 2 months to have a cellphone. Yeah, the time I arrived here I was 19 and regarded as an underage society or in Japanese we say miseinen. There were kinda some issues related an underage cellphone contract for foreigners because their parents aren't in Japan. Knowing about that, the head of Office of International Affairs in my uni helped me to tackle it. He filled in my cell phone contract permission sheet so that I was allowed to buy a cellphone! Woohoo! <3

Actually if I buy the phone tomorrow, that permission sheet isn't necessary since I'm already regarded as an adult. But because I thought yesterday was the right time, so I had no other options but to buy it hehe.

I really thank God for all the days that I've passed here. I was far from my beloved people in my homeland but God allowed me to meet new people, gain a lot of helps from them and everything always turns to be a good thing to remember :) I can't describe how happy I am

for this life.

Well people, see you on the next post. Wishing you a happy Sunday! xx

Oops, I almost forget to tell you that my senior and I are joining a video contest about "peace" as the main issue. We made a video entitled "Peace Through Kindness". So please, please kindly check out our work through this link, and don't be hesitate to leave your comments and likes! 

ciao!

Dorm Rooftop

Hi everybody! Just got back from college today, yeah Wednesday is my favorite day among weekdays since I only got 2 lectures which means I can go back to dorm earlier. My class today started at 09:00 and ended at 14:40 (On the other days I usually reach the dorm when the day is getting dark, because my last lecture ends at around 17:45. Ganbarimasu! *self-cheerleading*)

Well these photos bellow were taken Wednesday last week from my dorm rooftop :) Yeah, I love this space! It's not a really wide rooftop but I like it since I can enjoy me-time here accompanied by the refreshing breeze..

I took these photos around 4 p.m on a clear day. Yeah, starting from today until Friday, according to weather forecast, there will be rain. Moreover recently, the humidity here is increasing because there will be kinda rainy season every June in Japan. It was raining a bit outside just now but it had just stopped. 

                             

                                  In the area where I live is surrounded by houses and mansion.

I live in a 4 storied dormitory in an area called Shonandai (around 30 minutes from Yokohama). Here I live with the other 14 foreign students from my uni (Ferris Univ.) and the rest are Japanese students from various universities such as Keio University, Bunkyo University, Meiji Gakuin University, Nihon Daigaku (NichiDai) and Kanagawa University. The heads of the dormitory are also living here together with us, we called them Ryocho-san and Ryobo-san which is the former are for the man and the later is for the woman (or in Bahasa Indonesia we say Bapak Asrama and Ibu Asrama). 

Everybody here is kind, we always give salutation like everywhere and every time we meet :D (at the Dining room, bath room, Ofuro (Japanese Public Bath), Rest Room, stair, corridor, and just everywhere! haha). We always give salutation to everybody that we meet, no matter if we know each other or not but that's fun! It feels like living in a big home with (more or less) a hundred of siblings :p Yeah, it feels like HOME here! we do many things together in a peaceful living atmosphere (y).

Well I will tell you more about my lovely dorm in the next occasion, hope you guys have a great Wednesday!