January 2011

Fall Semester 2010-2011

Hello again, this is my last year in Sarajevo, as a student. And I feel obligated to myself to enjoy, to live the life, and to make the most of it while I still have a few months left in Bosnia.
This post will be the story about my last fall semester and my winter break holiday in January 2011. I write this to keep a record of my journey for my future, for people I love and my dearest ones :)

In the fall semester 2010-2011 I took these courses:
- Law and Ethics
- International Political Economy
- Research Methods
- History of World's Religions
- Issues in Turkish Politics
- Religion and Politics

I kept my attendance to the maximum level than any previous semesters I had. And thanks god, it turned out very well for me, I got five A grades and one B- grade. This is one of the best semester ever for me, and I'm really glad for that, apparently I'm a good student after all :)

Istanbul
Right after my final exam finished, I went to Istanbul from 13-16 January to met my mother. I saw her in Sehzade mosque in Fatih, Istanbul around 7 PM. Yeah that How I met my mother :) I visited Istanbul las summer in 2010, but this time only for a short visit, but finally I went to Dolma Bahce Palace. Last summer I couldn't go there beacause during the summer around 2000 visitors come to that palace and you have to make a reservation for it. I prayed Jum'ah in Suleymaniye mosque, walked on the sunset on Marmara sea side of Istanbul, and jailbreak an iPad to iOS 4.2

Here is some of my pictures in Istanbul

Zurich

And then on 22nd January 2011, since I put my step in Europe, I have always wanted to visit my uncle Wisnu who lives in Zurich, Switzerland. And I made it. He is an amazing person, just like I always remembered him. He cooked for me ikan asin (salty fish), dendeng balado, sambal, and lalapan. He is an excellent cook, and he knows fashion :)

Its a bit complicated to get a Schengen visa for Swiss, they just joined Schengen agreement in March 2009. When the first time I came to Swiss embassy in Sarajevo, the officer said I couldn't apply there, I should apply it from my country. I was shocked. But then I argued to him that I have a residence permit in Bosnia and previously I could get Schengen visa from other countries like Austria, and even I got visa for UK in Sarajevo as well. Then he said wait a moment, he will check the regulations. Well lucky for me, this is not the first time I applied my own visa by my self. I think If you're fulfilling all the requirements, not a criminal on interpol most wanted list, you still have big change that your visa will be approved :) If you can get invitation letter, you'll get a better luck. After 9 days I finally got my visa to Swiss.

After I informed my uncle that my visa is ready, he said will take care of the plane ticket, and he send me an electronic ticket of Lufthansa, a return ticket for Sarajevo-Munich-Zurich. Awesome!

The trip from Sarajevo to Munich only takes 1 hour 25 minutes and from Munich to Zurich takes only 55 minutes,
Zurich is a very beautiful city, everything is very clean, tidy, and well organized. People who live there enjoys one the highest standard of living, and Zurich is ranked 9th as the most expensive city in the world in 2010.

I watched TRON legacy 3D in new shopping center Arena cinema. But I did not understand it well because the movie was dubbed in German, so I just enjoyed very cool animation of that movie :)

Luzern

Then next day I went to Luzern (Lucerne) a small city about 40 minutes drive from Zurich. Its typical beautiful small city in Swiss with lakes, big clock tower, old buildings, and of course the famous wooden bridges of Luzern.

And I've learn that Swiss people has a different way of drinking tea, unlike Indonesian, Turkish, Chinese, or Saudian people. Here is the picture how they prepared the tea:

Paris

I did not plan to visit this city at first. But then my friend send me message in facebook, that she was in Barcelona, taking EF program, learning Spanish. She said, maybe we could meet halfway somewhere in Western Europe. I said yes, maybe, if my uncle says okay, then I said sorry I could not make it, but finally I said okay why not. I changed my mind in the last minutes and accepted the challenge to visit Paris because I finally booked a hotel just two hours before my flight to Swiss.

I took Eurolines bus from Zurich to Paris (via Strasbourg), its pretty cheap, 90 Euro for return ticket. I arrived at 6 in the morning at Gallieni station in Paris, with no Euro in my pocket. My mistake. I couldn't buy ticket for Metro to the center of Paris. I had to change my money but there was no money-changer in Gallieni, and even if it there, its not open that early. So I asked to the information officer politely and said this magic word "I have no Euro" and he said, go! and press the button and let me pass :) He told me to go to Opera, there is a money changer there. When I arrived in Opera, I looked around I found it. But unfortunately, its not open yet. It was around 7 in the morning, and it will open at 9, so I have to wait another 2 hours to change my money. Freezing in the bus station waiting money changer open is rather unpleasant experience :D

The thing about Paris: its not easy to find a public toilet or a small shops selling drinks, for the first one I rely on cafe or restaurants or vinotek (wine shop) and for the second problem you can buy in minimarket or vending machine on the metro stations. (keep your coins available).

I stayed in Boulevard de Rochechouart, a couple near Anvers metro station
First day, was Hermes hunting with my friend Nida :D (I'll let her tell the story for this)
We were so tired, invading Chatelet but thanks god finally we found the Hermes belt just in time before the shop closed in the last minutes. After we get back to hotel, we ate dinner in Turkish kebab restaurant (they're everywhere in Europe :D), we had energy to see Eiffel tower that night.

Second day, in the early morning we went to bus station to then I slept until 11 AM, then I had lunch in the same restaurant like yesterday. I went to La Pyramids and Louvre, Champs Elysees, Eiffel Tower again, Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Paris and Bastille.

Third day, I visited Funiculaire de Montmartre, (I didn't know how close that place was from my hotel, I could just walk up to the hill, instead I took Metro and circling around), Champs Elysees, Arch de Triomphe, Hotel des Invalides, Musee de L'armee (Napoleon tomb), Musee Rodin, Mount Parnasse, After check out from the hotel I had dinner at Mc'Donnald in Republique and go to to Gallieni station.

I visited these places during my 3 days adventure in Paris:
- Opera
- Republique
- Eiffel Tower
- Chatelet
- Musee de Louvre
- La Pyramide
- Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Paris
- Bastille
- Hotel des Invalides, Musee de L'armee (Napoleon tomb)
- Musee Rodin
- Arch de Triomphe
- Champs Elysees
- Mount Parnasse
- Funiculaire de Montmartre

Next I will post about my first MUN (Model United Nations) experience in Belgrade, March 2011.