Global Recession-

I don't know if by writing this blog then I'm influenced by the news, and media, who (as people say time and again) have the tendency to exaggerate every news that they have.

In the midst of global recession, the Asia region still stand up by its own and managed to help its west counterpart. Its not as if the region is not hurt by this, we have our share of poverty, unemployment, economic crisis, politic instability, etc. But then we do not exclaim our self as a super power country just because our economy managed to pass the point of wealthy.

Before the this economic crisis, we see the west as a wealthy region. A region where poverty is minimal, unemployment is nonexistent, and a very stable economy. But then this happened. The truth is uncovered one by one as we understand that the region's wealth is about debts and more debts. Its like they're all about the image and pride, as long as they look good to the world, its OK. I find that to be so vain, and hypocrite.

It reminds me on my own country's economic crisis on '98, that time the condition was bad, most people (even the rich one) doesn't seem to have any money. And the government was in torn, because of the politic instability, offers of loan seems to be the right way, the only way for us to get out of this mess. But after two years we realize that, loan mean debts. And the debt of my country is mine, my children, my grandchildren, and maybe even my grandchildren grandchildren duty to erase. That's why I'm quite relieved when the new government, formed in 2004, refused to add another debt in our pockets and sort of said "we will make it on our own" and that we will.

Back to the global recession issue, what makes me grateful that I'm born as Asian is that we have a culture of saving, and a bad habit of calculating every single thing that we expend, another thing is we tend to struggle more, maybe its connected to years of history and culture, we learn from what happened before. And that kind of lesson is not the one that you got from Its like what my father always told me "do not make debt!", we learn that its more relieving to be humble yet prosperous.

While the tendency to loan and make a debt is growing in the west, in the east more and more people are saving. This is sort of the crux of the recession, while the west has to cut of their spending, the east have to spend more to make the economy stable. So what shall we do then? I guess we just wait and see.

Back in Xi'an

After a one week break for Lebaran vacation and another week waiting for my visa approval, I am back in this ancient town again. Its colder now, and yesterday night I had my fist breakdown. Alone, and I just got a call from my chinese partner who insisted to visit the cement plant site this morning, a two hours drive from the city.

Although I manage to get a good reason from her about this visit, but I'm already in the state of breaking down so I cried about half an hour, tried to YM my sister but she's either to busy with her own mind or doesn't notice anything weird. Anyway, the infiniters threw me a big hug and sooth my breakdown. Along with half a pack of pringles and a cup of hot and sour soup, don't forget the crackers and the mayo... hihihihihihihi...*food is always the best medicine*

I've done the visit today, it was damn cold. My fingers were blue, and I just can't stand still. The damn thing is, my partner *who sits in the front, right beside the driver* has the tendency to open the window, she said that its to stuffy, no air inside the car. I don't think she realize that I'm freezing to death sitting right behind her.

But, all is well my job is finished for the day. I still have a lot of translation to do, but tomorrow I have a meeting with a client and I guess I'm free after that. Going to meet up with a british friend maybe. Also going to meet up with A Jie on Friday. That's a relief. Planning on joining a halloween party, but don't know with whom.

The foods

Hmmm.. I just can't get enough of China's street food. Bukan yang di restoran loh yah, yang di pinggir jalan, dulu waktu di Beijing g gak nahan sama malatang dan Kao Rou (daging bakar) yang ada di belakang asrama internasional.

Sekarang ini tempat tinggal g di Xi'an,jauh lebih strategis, gak hanya di tengah kota persis, tapi juga di seberang tempat jajanan China yang paling rame, dan semuanya Halal... alhamdulillah.

Mungkin kalo nyokap baca postingan g ini akan langsung "ADE! jangan kebanyakan makan!", Insyaallah sih gak yah, tapi makanannya enak boooo, apalagi segala macem Kao Rou, mulai dari cumi sampe jamur2 an. Bedanya g yang sekarang dengan g yang di Beijing, lebih nyari sayur dan menghindari karbohidrat. walo belakangan hari ini g makan nasi dan mie sih... hehehe...

Tapi untung juga sebelum brangkat ke China sempet ikutan akupuntur, gak pecuma deh. Setidaknya g lebih jaga apa yang g makan di sini, dan untung juga g kesini bulan puasa banyak godaan tapi lebih niat daripada dulu2.

Nih foto2 makanan di China

Buka puasa hari ini

Sebetulnya g bingung banget hari ini mau buka puasa apaan, setelah selesai nerjemahin Baseline emission factor buat kakak, g memutuskan untuk jalan2 aja ke depan.

Bener aja, gak berapa meter dari pintu masuk Drum Tower g langsung tertarik dengan sayap ayam bakar yang terlihat sangat nikmat, g beli dua buah dengan harga 10 Yuan (1 Yuan= Rp. 1370), mengingat sayap ayamnya gede banget g merasa harganya ok2 aja. Jalan2 lagi dikit, g menemukan tujuan g yang satu lagi, ketan bersalut wijen dengan selai buah, cukup satu kotak kecil seharga 3 yuan.

Merasa udah lengkap g pun balik ke kamar dan mulai bersiap2 untuk buka. Teh tarik lipton, satu buah sayap ayam, 2 buah gyoza sisa kemaren sama martabak kimchi. Makanan manisnya, sudah tentu si ketan wijen itu. Jam 19.06, g mulai buka dengan mengucap syukur dan menyeruput teh tarik. Alhamdulillah enak banget, berikutnya ada si ketan wijen yang gak kalah nikmat. Setelah puas yang manis2, g mulai mencoba sayap ayamnya, ENDANG BOOOOOKKK!!! asli enak banget.

Sayangnya, sebelum buka g gak foto. Tapi ini hasil setelah buka nya.. Hahahahaha

Xi'an, 14 September 2008

G lupa betapa horriblenya weekend di China. Jalanan yang penuh dengan mobil, dan pedestrians yang sesak dengan orang. Gak di Beijing gak di Xi'an sama aja, PENUH SESAK!.

Kemaren g pergi ke sebuah toko buku yang cukup besar, sayangnya di dalam toko buku itu gak ada buku impor, ada buku bahasa Inggris tapi yang classic semua. Alhasil, setelah stengah jam berputar2 didalam toko buku, g dan A jie akhirnya memutuskan untuk pulang. Perjuangan g pulang lebih bikin capek daripada kekecewaan g di dalam toko buku. Semua bus penuh sesak, dan gak ada taksi yang mau berhenti. Setelah nunggu stengah jam (lagi!) kita berhasil menemukan taksi yang mau membawa ke tujuan kita, lucunya setiap 5 meter taksi itu akan berhenti dan menanyakan orang2 yang berdiri "yao qu nar?" (mau kemana?) kalo arah tujuannya sama, dia akan menaikkan penumpang itu bersama2 kita, jadi kita harus share sama penumpang lain fungsinya jadi lebih kaya bus dari pada taksi. Pelipur g di hari yang memusingkan itu adalah gyoza halal dan martabak kimchi yang udah g idam2kan sejak dua hari yang lalu.

Pagi ini, g memutuskan untuk pergi ke supermarket agak pagi. Takut kaya jaman weekend ke carrefour dulu dimana g harus ngantri 45 menit untuk bayar. Ternyata jalan2 pagi di Xi'an itu menyenagkan, udaranya masih seger, dan orang blom banyak yang keluar. Mungkin juga karena hari ini adalah hari minggu. Tujuan g terlakasana dengan sukses, dan g menikmati tidur siang yang nikmat karenanya. Berhubung besok masih libur di sini (festival musim gugur), g akan berbelanja lagi dan mungkin mencuci baju...

Graduating, Choir Competition and My life

Blog baru ini dibuka dengan g yang -akhirnya- lulus sarjana juga. In a whirlwind of theses completion and the sidang, g lulus dengan nilai A yang cukup memuaskan.

Belom sempet ngerjain revisi ato yang lainnya, g dah harus pergi ke Bandung selama seminggu, bisa dibilang liburan sih. Bareng sama anak2 Insis, we didn't really manage to conquer the stage, but we gave the Jury and the audience some slap in the face. Sayangnya seminggu bersama Insis berlalu dengan sangat cepat, dan g dah harus jalan ke Xi'an.

Keberuntungan g emang gak ada habisnya, Alhamdulillah, g udah ditunggu untuk kerja di Xi'an. Kerja bareng kakak g dan langsung di tempatin di sonoh. Agak sedih meninggalkan semua yang ada di Indo, tapi I see this as a great opportunity, sayang kalo gak diambil. Jadi sekarang udah seminggu g di Xi'an, dengan semua perjalanan site visit yang g lakukan dengan kakak g, akhirnya hari ini g harus mengantar dia ke Airport untuk cabut ke SG. I keep reminding myself that I'll be back in Jakarta by the end of the month, maybe after that I wont be to damn home sick anymore. More likely is Sakis (sakaw Insis), I really miss singing....