For an international student, bureaucracy sometime becomes a backstop for education. Well, this is my story dealing with YÖK (Yükseköğretim Kurulu) or Higher Education Council of Turkey. My experience is quite rare actually because I’ve never met any other students –Indonesian or other nationality- shared the same problem. Let me cut the crap and straight …
How to Adapt Living in Foreign Country?
I have been living in Istanbul, Turkey, since February 2015. It’s then almost two years. apparently, being able to survive in here is quite a hard work in terms of the acceptance in culture balancing. Yet, I don’t bother living here for years more. Its just a matter of security and high level of politics …
Istanbul: a Love-Hate-Daunt Relationship
Well, this is my second spring here in Istanbul. Just to realize that its more than a year I’ve been living in here. So many thing have changed into something more virtue compared to my real life that I am now in. Sum of everything has blown my mind into several words that even dictionary …
Blabber
Today was my first day on college after taking a long nap (read: summer break). Well, it is not a break I guess. I was working in OIC for months in Ankara as I could remember while everyone took their holiday. I would not talk about my torturing months in the capital city of Turkey, …
Culture Shock
“Go get a room, please!” Saya membatin tatkala melihat sepasang muda mudi sekitar umur 25-an sedang melakukan adegan gigit-gigit dagu di dalam metro train yang saya tumpangi saat itu. Si lelaki sambil menunduk, satu tangan menggantung di pegangan tangan dan satunya dengan erat memeluk pinggang si perempuan. Sedangkan si perempuan? Jangan ditanya, tentunya dengan pose …
Odd-come-short Shots from Ankara
Hey, it is very long time I didn't post any photos. So here is some photos from last weekend in Ankara. Only in one day, tho. :p see, author has to be the first. so, this is me in front of the anıtkabir. this one with uncle the guardian please pardon my duck-face! (obviously Martha and …
Practicing? Yes.
“Are you practicing Islam?” That was my flat mate question in our first dinner several days ago. “Yes, I am.” Well, I think this obviously something strange in this “Moslem Majority” country, as we also know as a secular one, Turkey. Despite the fact that they are, citizens, Moslem but in practices they don’t. Okay, …
Assalamualaikum, Istanbul
Sedikit mengutip dari judul film yang baru rilis sebelum saya menginjakkan kota Istanbul ini, saya mencoba sedikit menjadi sosok melankolis kali ini. Berada jauh dari teman, sahabat, dan keluarga adalah hal yang cukup menyesakkan. Saya telah menjadi bagian dari kota Makassar sejak 23 tahun lalu dan sekarang saya menikmati pemandangan kota Istanbul dari jendela kamar …
