Food Poisoning(?)

I'm not really sure what happened, suddenly I feel pain all over my stomach, and I threw up, from all outlets. I drained out, dehydrated, losing so much fluid. Well, talk about eat the wrong food. All I can remember that I have just enjoyed a nice lunch with some pasta I bought from the store nearby. I put it in the microwave for about 10 minutes and actually, it was quite enjoyable, my first proper meal here cooked (or at least, prepared) by me. The pasta was called penne, with chicken, mushroom, paprika, and cheese sauce. Now I feel like a cloth after washing, ready to hang to dry.

Sleepless in Karlsruhe

Coming to Germany in summer has a big advantage, especially for tropical citizen like me. The weather is similar to my hometown, which only knows two seasons: summer and rainy. Summer in Germany, or in Europe, get the two seasons combined. Temperature is around 28 degrees, quite comfortable for us getting used to temperature above 30 degrees. While people here longing for the sunshine, we from tropical country have got enough for it back home. Also, it makes the best environment for holiday and sightseeing. People don't hesitate to go out and walk in the sun. But there is also drawbacks. The biggest one is the time. In summer, the sun sets at 10.00 pm and rise at 03.00 am. Consequently, the prayer time is also adjusted accordingly. The day is longer, so the Duhr is now at 1.30 pm, Asr at 5.30 pm. That is OK, but when we see that Magrib is 09.30 pm, Isha at 11.40 pm, and Fajr (Subuh) is at 03.15 am, well how many hours can we sleep? Counting up the number, and you got three. Yes, three hours of sleep. And facing the fasting month coming up, if we must prepare for sahur before Fajr, then we get no hours left for sleep! Yes, we're gonna be sleepless in Karlsruhe soon.

I Should Be So Lucky

Some times ago, someone told me that I am a lucky man, because I virtually do nothing to get an invitation letter to get me here now. I just sit back and do whatever came to me. My friend told me to upload my passport scan, OK. Another day he wanted me to send me CV, I'd do that too. And then, snap! the letter just came to my lap. There was some work to do to make sure I can go abroad, but that's just routine. And the rest is history, they say...

Although I always see my life as a series of unfortunate events, I always thank God for that, because there are many fortunes, too. My unfortunate was followed by a fortune, and vice versa. I got dropped out from college followed by my acceptance in UGM, my first job came through Yahoo! Messenger chatting after 6 months of fighting, my firing from that job followed by another job instantly, I got invitation for postgraduate scholarship out of nowhere, my failure to get ito the big five followed by this invitation letter. So, I see that as... life as we know it. Sometimes we get lucky, most of times someone else is.

To Germany...at Last

Well, when you watch Slumdog Millionaire, you'll be convinced that sometimes your destiny is written, and no matter how hard it is, you should achieved it if you tried. But even sometimes you can wait until destiny comes to you. The biggest hurdle to get me to Germany is getting an invitation letter, since the institution would not help at all. But, that all changes in a blink of an eye when my friend managed to get that letter without much of my intervention. In less than a week the letters have arrived, and my world is turning upside down. All plans just came one after another, getting visa and the documents prerequisites, and confirm the arrival at Germany with our friends already there. All has been set for departure at July 1st at 00.30. The visas are done in June 29th, and the tickets are already paid for flying to Frankfurt through Dubai. The flight was long, approximately 19 hours counted from Western Indonesia Time, plus one more hour by train from Frankfurt to Karlsruhe. And the rest is history...