Watch out!!!! Here’s the wish list ;-)

Okay my friends… as you notice, im gonna be 22 soon!!! Per usual, I list up some stuffs i hope im gonna  get on my birthday. hehehe. (Carlo, read this down carefully!!!)

 

1. Band of Brothers book (Stephen E Ambrose) – said that the book is worth to read, and it’s as good as the mini series. I cannot find this book in Jakarta, and in any other book stores I visited on my trip.
2. iPod touch – Papa didn’t wanna buy me another iPod coz I’ve broken the first 2 iPods he bought me. For some personal reasons, I won’t buy it with my own money too (my money is strictly allocated for doctors, hand bags, shoes, and stuffs like that)
3. Harry Potter book number 4 – I lost it… I need a new one. It won’t cost me more than £ 15, but I think it’s gonna be more fun if I can get it as a birthday gift
4. Westlife : Our Story  (autobiography of Westlife) – and I know someone can easily get me this book with the autographs of Shane, Mark, Nicky, and Kian on it
5. Graf ice skating shoes (with good blades) – I own a pair already, but I want to have another one. It will make me look like a pro My father won’t let me spend another £ 400 for another pair that im only gonna use 4 times a year (max!!!)
6.  A plane ticket with a route of CGK-ZRH-CGK or CGK-LHR-CGK.  Flight by EY (crystal) or BA (club) (hahahaha. wondering if there’s any of you will give me this kind of bday gift )
7.  A box of truffle from Sprüngli or Teushcer – im gonna warn you in advance, it’s a big struggle to get them shipping chocolates to CGK
8. A dozen of red roses – dunno why, but I always want to have red roses on my birthday. 21 years old, there’s only one man gave me a dozen of red roses. That man was my foster brother!!
9. Gift-wrapped Ben Barnes  - hehehe… another stupid wish. considering i might be fainting at the very first second i see him, getting me the very real Ben Barnes wouldn’t be a great idea

It’s hard to say good bye…

One long month I’ve been in this lovely city. It’s just few hours before I have to leave… and now im sad. It’s hard to believe that I wasn’t really keen on this place before I landed here. 

Lots of great things happened, and they came together with so many wonderful new friends. Saying good bye is a hard thing to do. Not only to my new friends, but also to the city it self. Feels like now im attached to this country in general, specially to the city where I spend the last 28 days of my life.

It makes me remember one thing by the way. My first ever Switzerland friend told me that his country is the best country in the world. Sarcastically I replied to him, “well, if im a native of south pole ill say the same about south pole, sir”. I was kinda … well… having a regret for saying that to him He happened to be  (a bit) true. His homeland is surely one of the greatest.

This city is completely different from the city I used to spend most of my days. But somehow I feel the same comfort as I feel in the land I call home. The same friendliness, even (almost) the same stupidness in bureaucracy

Been to so many places before. Never felt this mellow when it’s time to go back home. Even I’ve never felt this way when im leaving my favourite city ever (London, of course ^_^). 

Walking alone in the darkness of winter last eve. That’s how I said good bye and thank you to this city for its warm welcome to a stranger like me. Now bags are packed… and im (almost) ready to go. Got enough truffles for the long flight im gonna get through.

And ill be home… but ill be still thinking of this place. Ill be home… with a nicely wrapped box I should’ve given as an early xmas gift for a friend. A friend that I was expecting to meet before I depart home. He never showed up, and I never told him that I wanted to meet him.

Never know when ill have another chance to be back in this city. Yet, I hope there’ll be another chance for me… 

xx

Whity Snowy Davos

Well darling, it’s not all snow in Davos!! Just figured that out Stated as the highest land in Europe (as being told by a cute hotel concierge), Davos is absolutely more than a place you’ll stay in during the coldest winter!

The meals are great. You can find any kind of meals in Swiss, French, and Bavarian style! One restaurant even offers a different kind of fondue each evening. Major! The pastry is great too, slightly different from what I saw in Zürich.

Ski is a must in Davos, though there are few idiots (READ: moi and my cousin) who decide not to go skiing to watch and drool over the cool skiers. This place is absolutely heaven for winter sports. It has got the biggest skating rink I’ve ever seen in my entire life. Seriously, mate! The skating rink is huuuuugeeee!!! Credits for Antoine who informed me in advance about this skating rink

The nightlife is great too, that it made a lady who is a doctor-to-be back to the hotel room just minutes before breakfast is served! Thank God I slept earlier the night before so I wasn’t freaking panic wondering where that stupid girl might be!

However, the greatest part for being in Davos is: spending all day outdoor, go skiing or skating, and have a short visit to a small pastry shop to enjoy a slice of nice tart and a cup of hot drink before returning to the hotel room in the darkness of the early evening. Sweet!!!!

 

**

 

What To Expect in Davos:

1. Cute skiers / skaters!! Girls, don’t fight over them with your cousin or sister. There’re enough cute skiers / skaters for each of you!! Unless if the skiers happen to be Jude Law or Daniel Radcliffe (yeah, I love Mr. Potter!), you’re allowed to lock your cousin / sister in a hotel bathroom!
2. Britons!!! Yup, you got me right. Lots of Britons there..
3. Great fondue, and you can find it in every corner of Davos
4. Great clubs, didn’t experience it my self but it is recommended by my cousin
5. Friendly natives, and some are cute too. Hahaha

xx

Great Meals of The Month!

It’s been almost a month and i’ve tasted some of the best meals that the country may have. So far, there are only these 6 I can remember. There are a lot actually. But it’s either I forgot the name of the food, or I don’t know how to spell the words. So, here are the best (and lucky?) 6 my brain can afford to remember  

1. Fondue : kind of melted cheese. I love it. It’s cheese You can eat fondue pretty much with everything. My favourite so far… well, i love dipping some breads to the melted cheese
2. Raclette: another version of fondue. They’re all two different things though. I prefer raclette than fondue. Certain kind of cheese only can be turned into raclette I think. It stinks at first, but it tastes very good. It’s all forgiven then
3. Spitzbuebe: it should be a xmas treat. I had it couple of weeks before xmas (Thanks Mary!!!). Based on my friend’s story, spitzbuebe is a german traditional cookie. In germany they call it drei agen (dunno if I got it right, but it supposed to be translated as 3 eyes). Love it very much!
4. Rüebli Kuchen: aka carrot cake. A kind of nice thing to eat. If only I never know that it’s got carrot on it, maybe im gonna like it forever.
5. The Switzerland pretzel: they said the shape of Swiss pretzel is different from the one in germany. No big deal for me… as long as they taste the same. The one in Suisse is a bit better, it’s got lots of butter
6. Zimtsterne: dunno what it made from, but it tastes soooooo good. Gotta grab some more… hehe.

xx

Zürich is the name, baby ;-)

Welcome to the city where you only can find 3 Starbucks outlets!* Well, it doesn’t matter anyway since the number of people who live in Zürich is not enormous! Also it is forgiven by many great confectionaries you can find there. Who needs caffeine when the finest chocolate in the world is being offered right next to your door?!?

Anyhow, this city isn’t only blessed by so many greatest chocolatiers ever alive, there’s just so much about Zürich that will make people in love with this little heaven. As an example, there’s no such thing called traffic, my friend! Hehe. Even if you notice the city is more to be like vehicle-free city. The people are spoiled by a great system of public transportation. Though I personally think that walking is a great option after tons of choco pralines and raclette :-p

For ladies, tell your father (or boyfriend, or hubby) that there are not many shopping malls in Zürich. It brings them such a relieve, I believe. Just wait till they hear your story about you accidentally being dropped off in an area called Bahnhofstrasse!! Jelmoli is probably the biggest department store you may find within the area. I love it.  You can get Agent Provocateur, cute mugs, great crystal for home decorating, and many more under one roof. Everything there is relatively cheap, though I still think I can find cheaper stuffs with the same range of quality in other places outside Switzerland There are plenty of international brand boutiques in this area. Louis Vuitton, Zegna, Dior,but no Hermes (or did I miss it??). But honey, gotta tell you one thing, take a (quite long) journey by train to Paris and get your Porte Tresor at Champs Elysees. Simply don’t buy it in Zürich. It’s just not a place to have a Louis Vuitton shopping session

There’s a place also which I think still in the area of Bahnhofstrasse. Paradeplatz,. Take a walk there and treat your self a great chocolate you can get in a store named Sprüngli. A bit pricey, but it’s all worth the price  But what are not pricey in this city by the way? I even suspect that actually we’re being charged for the air we breath while we’re staying there

Getting around in Zürich isn’t so difficult. As I mentioned earlier that the city has got probably the best transportation system in the universe. There’s tram that literally will connect you door-to-door. Unless you wanna have a bit of adventure, taking a walk getting around the city and got lost trying to find a way to reach Rämistrasse from Talstrasse (so obvious who’s that stupid one, yeah?)

One more thing… well, it’s applied in almost every part of Switzerland. The people do speak in Swiss German language. It’s okay if you speak German, coz everyone will understand you well. The accent is kinda different and even though they speak German, they won’t say danke as a form of thank you. Instead, they’ll say merci with a very different accent from the French merci. Cute, isn’t it? So don’t ever forget, mates!! It’s ‘merci vilmal’ (a bit weird, I know) not a ‘vielen dank’. Hehe

xx

* as a person who used to hang out in a city called Jakarta, it’s a bit overwhelming! Jakarta’s got more than 7 Starbucks outlets, mate!!