Day 2

Day 2

I woke up at 5pm this morning, I don't even remember when I fallen asleep last night, my mom says that she's going to St. Gallen for Breast Cancer Congress with her friends who was sleeping in the different hotel at Turbinenstrasse. Oh where the hell was that street, I don't even had the proper time to read the map. With my confused mind, I gathered strength to find that hotel. It took 30minutes of my sleep to gathered all the information, God bless my hotel for the free wifi access.

I jumped to the shower as fast I can, I won't let my mother lost when she had to find the tram number 4 to Technopark. I bought the ticket through the machine finally. Then yesterday was just a miss, when I didn't adapted yet. It's a good thing when my not so comfort zone now become one of my comfort zone. I felt like I was part of this city when I dropped my mom at the right tram station and wait for her train disappeared from my sight. I think I was the good child at that time.

The tourist information still closed on 7:15 in the morning, so I have to bought the evening tickets for Genève on the reiseburo. I was stand on the line when a man just cut my line then going before me, I keep silence, when all the people behind me got angry to that man. Fortunately the man gone right away, when I still have no idea what they're talking about.

Then I rushed to take the golden light around the station. The sun was still warm but the weather still extremely cold. My hands and my face was frozen while I was taking the picture endlessly. I had the hard time to take pictures with the gloves on, so I took the left side first and continued to take some pictures. Behind me I heard the noise, then I turn back then I saw sweeping machine moves towards me, so I stepped aside. Then when I wanted to put my glove back on I lost it. I didn't find it in my pocket, in my bag, everywhere. That happened so fast when I saw the sweeping machine passes me. That's when I realized that, damn my glove must've been slipped right before the sweeping maching passes me. My life just like one of Mr. Bean scene.
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At 8pm I already back in my hotel room, I felt sleepy ad hungry at the same time, the the hotel room become my comfort zone. I had thoughts to choose the hotel room that outside world, city of Zürich. But then the memories of all promises back. I thought I should found my peace from outside. Then I slept for an hour to regain back my energy. I tried not to be super excited today, just let the time passed me by, I will walk slowly and enjoy the coldness of today.
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9:06pm sound of alarm woke me up, my head is going to burst I think. But I had to go outside like I said to my self before. I washed my face and ready to fill up my hungry belly. I think the temperature still under the zero degree celcius. But the power of hunger against it all.

Before I went to buy some meal, I was going back to tourist information to ask my Zürich-Genève tickets that I bought before. The tickets doesn't showed the time and the seat for the trip. But that's okay actually, the officer said, plus he adds me with the guide of Genève and walking tour for Zürich. He actually made my day.

I was craving Nordsee fish & chips sweet chili sauce all day long, the store wasn't opened yet. So the choice went to Burger King cheeseburger and hot chocolate. I was so concentrate on my writings about day 1 while eating my breakfast, I didn't realize I was sitting in front of the magnificent transparent clock, yeah it's in Burger King! I just realized clock was a big deal in this country, the people who made the best watch, the people who tagged with over-punctuality.
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My route was the same green route like on the Zürich map plus the hidden route from the tourist officer before. I think my walk today as slow as I predict and as peaceful as I wanted. Never been so unplanned on trip like this, but like Mikha said that the last planned trip might be the best trip for us. I missed my friends while I was crossing the city today, but I think I can control all those lonely, depressed feelings just by remember their encouragement and joy for me. I would like to tell this route on another post soon when I'm home.
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With happy face and Luxemburgerli on my hand arrived safely on my hotel room. Browsing for a while and texting with my mom whose by herself in St. Gallen, and couple time get lost, I just can't think how could she survived after all this time barely speak in English. So I went asleep.
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Then she come, my mom, with fish and chips I've been waiting for and we rushed to packed our bags and checked out. It's 6:10 were running down the streets with all those big luggage, I missed my backpack.
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Not so hard to find that we're on the platform 15 and get on the train on time. The problem was, my mom was running first and get on the full one. So we must keep our luggage near us because the baggage shelf was full. Thank God there was a nice old man who taught us how to keep our baggage closed. He's Albanian and muslim too. But he can't speak English so it's like body language conversation all night. Now the train just passed Fribourg. One hour away from Genève. Wish me luck!
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When we get off the train, my cousin already wait for us on the platform so just by 1 tram number 14 we arrive on Petit Lancy. And I'm having the best dinner ever which is Indonesian roasted chicken with salad and my beloved, Rice.

Kisses from Petit Lancy!

March 2013

Day 1

Snow was falling slowly when I walked out of the plane on Zürich, thank God were on the front row seat, when the door was open we just hop on to the terminal fast, and pass the passport control safely. Then on the front door there was old man in a suit holds my mother name on his iPad. Then he took us to the car, and drove us to the St. Gotthard hotel. Just a blink away from the bahnhofstrasse, the most expensive road in the world!

Because the room wasn't ready yet, we then rushed our way to the freidempolizei on Berninastrasse 45. It's such a stressful thing because I can't buy the ticket on the machine. Never seen a confusing tram machine before. Thank God the tourist information just step away on the Bahnhof.

And guess what did I get, the most handsome and such a warm accent migration officer. The eyes was green-grey. But such a mess we're not so lucky to get the extend visa after such a long talk. He suggest us to do the request to the Kantön Geneve.

So we had to change our plane. We're looking the best deal for March 18. And we'll be going to Geneva by tomorrow night.
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We're back to the hotel, my mom insist to wrap herself under the blanket as the snowfall getting heavier. Then she ask me to bring some spesific meal like, chicken burger from Burger King. No other choice I was back to the Bahnhof bought burger and fish and chips for me. It makes me realize my favorite fish and chips was 3x more expensive than I had before while on Berlin. Welcome to the most expensive city, Zürich!
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Back to the hotel, my mom still coughing under the blanket, and me just make an appointment to go to winterthur after 6pm with Ms. Dita, one of my cousin's friend in Zürich.
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It takes about 20minutes by train to reach Winterthur. And in this small town, the snow was falling heavily. I'm sure there will be a tons of snow that got into my mouth while I was walking straight among those pretty warm lights on the street of Winterthur. As I walked by all I can think was the girl whose selling the match, so cold, so alone.
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Since there was nothing on Winterthur in such a heavy snowfall, we're back to Zürich, to filled up our empty stomach. And we're going to eat fondue! Yeah cheese fondue that you must have while in Switzerland.
The most expensive standard meal that I've ever had.

It almost 11:30pm when we finished the meal, and heading to hotel by tram, it was -1 degree celcius. The coldest night I've ever been. I think I'm going to die. I finished this story on the next day, when the sun was shining but the temperature falls to -2 degree celcius.

I'll be back on the stories of the day 3. Now I'm seating on the Burger King just finish my brunch. And going to conquer this city with half of the gloves I had.

Cold kiss from Zürich!

March 2013

Day 0

So here's the day come, I think I should write you more detailed prologue about my trip, just in case something bad happens later, didn't wish for that but just some prep.

Boarding call now while I'm writing this down, says that we're ready to board. My heart is going to burst thinking that I'm going to face the fredempolizei at Zurich. Wait, I think you should hear a bit about the begining of this story.

It started on Friday, when my mom called me and said our visa was wrong. Then I flew back to Jakarta to find the real case about it. There was a fatal missed of information with the people who applied the visa for us and my mothers' will. Miscommunication. We only got 5 days visa permit while on schengen state, such a waste, right? And actually we're scheduled flight home on march of 23th. It'll be 5days of overstays for us. And the punishment will be...I can't even imagine, dang.

We had tried to fix our visa, the embassy allows that, but the visa will be finished on 15th of march, which is already late for my mom conference. The embassy just gave us one option for that. Go. Fly. And find the immigration to ask their permission to add more 5 days. But the reality was hard, I was alone in this case. The embassy couldn't gives us any recommendation letter or something. They said the federal migration of Switzerland has their own regulation for that, it's 50:50. Yeah, perfect.

After stressful days to fixed things up, now I'm still on a plane. Still have no idea how this would end. All I can do is sit back and find my inner peace of this situation. My cousin who lives in Geneva helps me a lot even their friend in Zürich gave all effort to help me face the fredempolizei in Zürich. All I hope for now, may God shows the best way to get out of this mess.
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End of bad discussion. Now, it still early in the morning on the plane, 1:30 local time I guess when I fly across India, right before I crossed Himalayas over the city name Lahore. I see magic up here, I just woke up and see the see of stars outside my blind. Yeah it gives me chills and peace. I wish I could share some photos of the stars. But I saw nothing on my camera screen. I believe there's still something that camera can't capture, it's magic.

Up for now, I'm waiting for a sunrise catch my plane from east behind. Hope you guys can see the magic that I see.
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It's 5:30 in the morning local time 1 hour away before transit in Istanbul. I'm having breakfast with such a warm sunshine and happiness between the clouds.

Just 20 minutes before landing I enjoyed the Bosphorus channel between Asia and Europe mesmerizing architecture drenched in warm golden sunshine. One of the cities I've been longing for. And silhouette of blue mosque pictured the perfection of Istanbul so far.
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Skipping the transit time, now I'm on the last plane to Zürich. And the stories may be continued on 'Day 1'. Can't wait to upload it soon.

Tons of kisses from Istanbul.
March 2013