Beauty From The East (of German)

From Berlin we headed to Dresden. As the capital of Saxony, Dresden is one of the biggest city in East German. History has wrote that Dresden played an important role during the World War II, everywhere we went in Dresden Old Town area we saw antique buildings with beautiful gothic architecture. We only spent two nights in Dresden. Stayed in the hostel which has funky decoration that I love.

Bear His Mascot

The first stop in my summer travelling program is Berlin. The city that once was famous for his Berlin Wall and now famous for his bear mascott. Notice how I use "his" to introduce the city? It is because Berlin has this masculine vibe of modernity. Of course like any other Europe famous cities, Berlin is also rich with history, with giant old buildings and gothic church. But Berlin ain't Paris, no... the city does have this cultural vibe on him, he is rich with modern art and practical design, yet he has no classic and feminine feel of Paris.






O yeah, let me show you the present face of Berlin Wall now:




Berlin has a confusing inconvenient public transport system, the easiest way for sightseeing is to hop on Bus no.100. It passess almost all main attraction of the city.



I also like the view from Berlin's film huis:


Like many other big cities, Berlin is beautiful at night with lights as the highlight:

Affair to Remember

July, when Summer finally arrived and we --the Avant Garders' (Indonesian students living in the Avant Garde building guesthouse)-- would soon be departed. I invited my close friends from class for goodbye dinner; Cumaziye and Denitsa. It was also a goodbye dinner for Mone, Billy and Diena who would soon left the building to their each new rooms upon renovation in their 2nd floor. So the theme of this wonderful dinner was GOODBYE ;p. I had Billy cook his famous Chicken Rica Rica and Brennebonnen (red bean soup with pork broth).

Me, Cumaziye and Denitsa in front of the guesthouse building

Mone

The food

Billy and Kenneth

Yan & Ning

The participants ;P

Two days after the dinner I left for travelling around central Europe and Dresden, Germany, with the guy who sit next to me :). A week after, Billy-Mone and Diena moved. Leaving their comfortable room, finishing their master thesis and then back to Indonesia. Goodbye Avant Garde....goodbye Master life...goodbye my thesis (the photo was taken when I was in the process of finishing the last chapter of my thesis).

The dinner was one of the fond memory in Netherlands that I really wanted to keep...it was the closure for my Master life.

Roermond

Once of upon a time, there is this place in Netherlands called Roermond. The place is a small town located around 45 minutes from Maastricht. Famous for its factory outlet, Roermond is the favourite place to buy anyhing branded. I went there last summer and bought myself few things: Marc Jacobs watch, Sisley overnight bag, and a sweater from Tommy Hilfinger.

Be it Falls

My Fave Poem

HER KIND by Anne Sexton
_________________________________________

I have gone out, a possessed witch,
haunting the black air, braver at night;
dreaming evil, I have done my hitch
over the plain houses, light by light:
lonely thing, twelve-fingered, out of mind.
A woman like that is not a woman, quite.
I have been her kind.

I have found the warm caves in the woods,
filled them with skillets, carvings, shelves,
closets, silks, innumerable goods;
fixed the suppers for the worms and the elves:
whining, rearranging the disaligned.
A woman like that is misunderstood.
I have been her kind.

I have ridden in your cart, driver,
waved my nude arms at villages going by,
learning the last bright routes, survivor
where your flames still bite my thigh
and my ribs crack where your wheels wind.
A woman like that is not ashamed to die.
I have been her kind.

My Fave Poem

A Dream Of A Blessed Spirit

By: W.B. Yeats All the heavy days are over; Leave the body's coloured pride Underneath the grass and clover, With the feet laid side by side. One with her are mirth and duty; Bear the gold-embroidered dress, For she needs not her sad beauty, To the scented oaken press. Hers the kiss of Mother Mary, The long hair is on her face; Still she goes with footsteps wary Full of earth's old timid grace. With white feet of angels seven Her white feet go glimmering; And above the deep of heaven, Flame on flame, and wing on wing.