Review for International Students : Residence Olympique in Montpellier, France by CROUS RESIDENCE

 Hi everybody,

Greetings~

Hope you are all doing amazing in this middle of pandemic era. The world is getting better and healing.

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If you followed my blog and my page, maybe some of you already knew that I studied in Montpellier for my master degree (finishing soon). I would love to contribute something to the community which I am talking about the student these days and certainly for those who have wish to continue their study in Montpellier or France one day. So, today I would like to review the place where I were staying for 3 semesters (almost), it is the Residence Olympique by CROUS Residence. In case for those of you who are questioning what is this 'CROUS Residence', here is one quote that I took from Campus France site :

"In France, the Crous (centre régional des oeuvres universitaires et scolaires) is a network of student residences spread out across the country’s mid-to-larger cities and is organized according to region. Each region (though not all) typically has several Crous residences per city and works with local universities to provide affordable living spaces for students, typically single-rooms and studios."

Yes, so ta~da, as mentioned above, you did see the most attractive word, did you not ? Yeah, affordable lol. That is the word which attracted me to stay in CROUS and frankly speaking it was also because the choice for me as a scholarship holder to be privileged in CROUS Residence.. (Well, I don't know why exactly was it called a privilege but based on what I heard, it was difficult to get one as it is limited and due to many demands from other students as well, so lucky me!) Anyway, if you are thinking also to get one just because of that word, I suggest you to think twice eventhough you got an offer, because it will decide how you will live your life for the next one year (based on contract). Let me tell you why :

Yes, affordable is affordable for sure, it is cheaper, but do not forget cheaper will definitely affects quality and since I am not staying in a new CROUS residence, which they said it is quite old like 20-30 years building. So let me starts from the beginning, when I moved here.. As mentioned before I came by the landlord or residence manager (whichever you call them), the room is unfurnished except there is already a single bed provided, a study table, a cupboard and a cabinet, a mini refrigerator and that's all. The toilet part, I quite like it, in my place it was not that modern but at least there are spaces and most importantly, BATHTUB, cause I love to dip on hot warm water once in a time to relax myself, lol (sorry for getting too personal in a sudden XD). Continue, they also have this mini kitchen, which is surely mini good for one person, you can cook enough things by yourself, though sometimes i feel i need more space for my stuffs lol. So please beware when they said it is a mini kitchen, it is surely A MINI ONE ! It was the electric stove (electric plate) and it was not bad for it's heating quality but ventilation does not circulate that well so beware of food odours or smelles in the room unless you open the window and door widely. Mini refrigerator works so well despite of the small spaces it has!

So on my first semester, I did stay in a smaller room where i had the chance to move to another bigger room my next semester as it was full when I moved the first time. For the small room, I paid around 380 euro excludes electricity charge (water charge was included already) and for the bigger room, around 405 euro. The difference is the bigger room has a big balcony where you can hang off your laundries which is effective for me. Because laundry outside house means more expenses and you might want to save more, don't you :D Oh, do not forget in France you have the aid from the government body called CAF to pay your accommodation fees where it is totally favorable for students :3 So, do not forget to apply to them once you get your residence certificate. Ok, back to subject : How about the view, I would say it is not too bad indeed, well at least for me I got a enough beautiful landscape with many trees and since it is not the main road, so i have a very peaceful ambience in my room. The corridors are not that modern since it is an old building so it makes much sense, and there are lifts in each building so if you stay in the 6th floor (the highest) do not worry, you can still take your groceries up easily. Though, one thing to notice, the heater is small one in each room and it is not that fast functioning and effective in the room means you have to turn them on for some time maybe 10 minutes which is not that problem. The real problem is, there was once few periods the apartment's heaters are totally not functioning at all and it was during WINTER !! Everybody was complaining they were frozen, well, lucky me I have a small heater machine from my Japanese friend, Marika (I should mention her name her) but yeah beware of that too before moving, cause it will surely affect your life badly if you do not have any heater during winter. Then, regarding ventilation, it was not that good too, so you must be prepared during the winter it is too cold and during summer it is too hot. I think summer should be alright, at least for me, people who came from tropical country but WINTER is definitely a challenge in this residence and tell you what, even the European people I knew who were staying in this residence they have difficulties living in the winter as it gets too cold in this residence, so please keep in mind to buy a small heater just in case it happens again! The toilet is all good, eventhough I felt it is not that modern and fast flow for the water current. Regarding location, it was not that far from campus and near to the city center too (10-15 mins by tram).

So it really depends on what your preference but here are some photos those I can share with you for your considerations, I hope it helps :

View from my first room during the night

Me in my studio room with balcony behind the curtain

The room panorama view

The room

View from Balcony (right side)

Me shirtless from my balcony XD

View from the 6th floor hallway

Another consideration by staying with CROUS is there are many offers during your stay, for example during the pandemic I think I got around like 10 invitation of groceries offer for FREE ! it is like a little aid for the students but still if you do not stay in CROUS, you are not prioritised as they always have sessions for public and sessions for CROUS residents only ! so if you stay in CROUS, you might get more of it! Then, today CROUS also assign a person in each residence to help you with anything related to the residence, they are like the student apartment representative, they can help you to report to CROUS manager.

One more important thing to check before you move in to the apartment is to check all the things condition as it is and keep note because they might charge you for something that is not, for example for me, it was the bed sheet it has mark on it where I did not even realize if it was my fault cause I never spoil any sauce above it. And they required you to clean the apartment 100% as you moved out so you must also pay attention to the floor and wall condition, cause they might charge you if there was unnoticed mark on the first day and it was written good condition on the inventory list check.

Lastly, If i were given the chance to give a rate for the apartment, I would give 2.5 out of 5 where I think they definitely can improve a lot of things in the apartment and I somehow suggest you to find private apartment if you did not have the chance to get newer apartment from the CROUS. Well, it was not that I regret staying there for 3 semesters but it is just I found out I can get a better value if I stay outside. Nevertheless, it was not a bad choice since it is nearby the campus (University of Montpellier Triolet campus) like 4 stations if I'm not mistaken. Moreover, it is close to Boutonet where the restaurant CROUS is! (which is again, AFFORDABLE, lol!) So, yes it really depends too on your condition and what do you search, if you think you can live well in conditions that I have mentioned above and agree with the rate, location, advantages given, you definitely too won't regret staying at this residence. :) Happy choosing!~ ;)

My personal life experience getting EIFFEL scholarship (French Government Scholarship)

               Today, 4th September 2020, remarks my one year journey studying in France, all the tears and hardworks finally came to a successful first year, YES, I passed my first year with a title and certificate for my master program in International commerce in IAE Montpellier, France. Furthermore, I am doing my internship now in a French small enterprise nearby to Montpellier city. It was totally a remarkable journey, but today I am not going to talk about the journey I had in France but rather the personal hardship I had to go through to get into this journey. It was surely unique, it all started in 2016, where I got news in the Philippines (When I was working there) that Canada is opening immigration program where we can move, work and live there to get a permanent residence one day. That day, I decided to learn the country deeper and I found out they speak two languages there which are French and English. At that time, I was already a fan of Anggun, if you did not know who is she, She is a former Indonesian who is a French singer / superstar now. Inspired by her dedication, I decided to learn French one step by step. I had even stronger motivation when I had the opportunity to meet her during her album promotion in Eastwood city in Manila. But by working and at that time, i was also trying to get scholarship in different country like Australia, New Zealand and even the Indonesian government scholarship to go to UK, I was not capable to focus instead of learning just the basic. Luckily, i sang a lot so some of the words stick in my mind and I became better at memorizing some useful phrases. Since I was also busy working and having this dream to get a scholarship in foreign countries, i said to myself, it is all just good to focus on one purpose, one scholarship to target and give it all out rather than having too many branches but in the end my candida was not strong and competitive. Unluckily (or maybe lucky), I failed to get a scholarship from the Indonesian goverment to study in the UK, by that said I had to go back to Philippines to work right away after the selection. Dissapointed cause I was hoping too much on it already, but my burning spirit is not giving up at all looking for another scholarship. Thought at one point, I realized that probably my contribution to Indonesia once I am graduated is questionable so maybe that was the reason why I was not accepted. But if I had to contemplate what had happened, I am so grateful cause with the scholarship program I have now, we are not forced to do that but rather the contribution is encouraged in any form as long as it has developing purpose and give advancement to the country and the world where my focus in this case was International trade between countries.

          After I had my first failure applying on scholarship, I found out in France that they have these French government scholarships program where I were also interested in applying. So I decided in 2017, just to focus on this one rather than other scholarships in other countries. However, the language was way too complex to learn by myself and when there is nobody to practice with in the Philippines it becoming more complicated than you can imagine. Consequently, in 2018 I quitted my job just to focus on the French language. I got a lot of critics from my family and even from some friends at this rate, they bashed me like I dreamed way too big, like i want to leap out from two stone to another stone in a pond, it's totally risky and having a high failure risk. Moreover, they told me that I was not an alumni from International school and learning new language in a very short length-time is definitely impossible especially when it comes to French. Of course I know that, but I told myself that I rather live giving efforts than giving up without trying. Eventually, I still sticked my nose on it and started having courses from A1 level to B2 level in my hometown, a language institute called Alliance Francaise. Learning intensively around 9 months was definitely exhausting and energy-draining, however I successfully attained my objective which is to pass the DELF B2 French language level on November 2018 that is required at least to apply to French universities (with French modules). After selecting plenty universities, I finally did not choose French modules to go with, I applied only to English one with Montpellier University (IAE Montpellier) for the Commerce International master program. It was only my hope back then, so I prayed everyday to God, I said whatever is the result, I knew that I always had your blessings and supports, at least now I already gave maximum effort to pass the language examination. Though of course, with again, an enormous hope, I still want to make my dream come true, however at some point, I do not want to get too much pressures on my mind, so I try to accept the fact in case if I were not accepted, it is going to be okay too, cause what can we do eventually after applying and just waiting for the application result. Not to forget that I was 25 years old back then and in Asia, somehow man was expected to search for a life partner by this age and marriage, having children were seen as a key of happiness. Also, the truth is people get married sooner as well in Asia compared to Europe, however that is not whole purpose in my life. Of course, I would not lie to myself, I will need love and companion one day, but if I meet the one who I love undeniably with my heart and not just being forced because of age matter. My passion was pre-destined, 'to become a world citizen where I can speak few languages of the world, having a business instinct, live with different cultures, continuous improvement, a better human being, peace-promoting, share more love & kindness and live comfortably'. At least, that was what I convey to the God I believe in, and hoping that I will be given the chance to enrich my knowledge and becoming an inspiring figure (hopefully) one day.

            Talking about the scholarship, the first selection was to pass the University assessment from the administration part first, then continue to the university department where we want to study and finally but not least, forwarded to the French government for the final selection if your application was chosen by the university. Other frightening fact about the scholarship application is also if once you failed the candidature, you are forever banned to apply it again the next and following years. YES FOREVER and EVER ! So basically, it was supposedly my only chance to get in France in one shot or never. The competition was also tight enough, if I was not mistaken, we have around 1600++ candidates for the program at that time. Next, I started selecting university from November 2018 and in December  2018 I made up my mind to go with Montpellier University for my scholarship admission (because you can only choose one university according to the application rules).  I was so impatient to know the result from the start, however the selection process itself takes a very long time from December to March. In March, they announced that the scholarship announcement will be delayed in one more month which at that time, I was already hopeless. Since I can't wait no more and hold with it, I somehow applied some job just to pass time, earn money and see in case if ever I was not accepted for the scholarship, I would have work already by that time.. One, two months passed, I worked in a Palm oil manufacturing company as a field Auditor just to spend some free time and of course learning new things since February 2019 and on April 2019, the announcement day finally came, They published a list of the accepted laureats (scholars) on the CAMPUS FRANCE site and YEAH, MY NAME WAS THERE !! AT THE END OF THE LIST coz my surname comes with the first letter 'Y' so... It was totally dramatic when I was trying to scroll down the 200++ names listed just to find my name on the bottom page. I was crying and hugging my twin brother in the morning founding this announcement, it was definitely hard to believe if I reflect it back on my past. I was actually a failure where I did not pass my first year high school nevertheless, that was actually the turning point where I changed my mindset with everything in life. I reflected a lot and became a totally different person now. Maybe some old habits stay, but better human being is a mere objective till today. :) So if what the proverb said that failure is the key of success, then probably in my case, it is true and I am grateful I had my failure earlier. :)

Oh In case if you guys are asking which scholarship program I was applying ? It is called the Excellence Eiffel Scholarship which was financed by the French government. That year in 2019, I was one of three Indonesians who were listed in the announcement. Lucky me and us :D

I will try to write about my experience studying in France next time, please stay tune and hope you enjoyed my writings ! Thanks for reading  <3

Love,

Steven

Succeed in DELF B2 Exam November 2018 first time with excellent mark and within 8 months !! HOW did i do it?

Hello everyone,

              Before I start telling you guys some tips and advices how did I succeed the DELF B2 exam, I will let you know my background a bit first. First of all, I am Indonesian (nationality) and I was aiming to get a scholarship in France for my Master Degree which most of you have known that this country required you to speak at least basic to survive the daily life there which i am sure it is not wrong to learn a language that you are interested in and definitely it will become helpful whenever it is needed. Communication is always the key to solve a problem, isn't it ? ;)

              So before taking the exam, I did attend intensives courses of French language for total of 8 months (From A1 to B2) which is really crazy if you ask me how was the progress, but yeah it was satisfying at the same time cause in present, I already have my Instant DELF B2 certificate which of course without doubt i am very proud of it ;) I am certain that you guys have heard that regularly people who had taken the DELF B2 exam did not pass in one batch especially when they just learned the language for some time (let's say less than a year). And yeah, I am totally new to this language and I GOT the certificate in 9 months (TOTAL) !! Which is WOOOHOOO~ (Despite of my hardship and sleepless night I got during the learning time, lol!) It does feels amazing when I set this goal at the beginning of the year as a resolution and by passing this, it just makes you relieved and even will work harder in the future. (BTW, I am not trying to exaggerate myself, my point is i do really study hard and make it happen).

               On early November of 2018, I took DELF Examination B1 & B2 levels. Luckily it was held on different days, just one day difference though. It was very nerve-wrecking actually especially when there were so many rumors were going on such as "You will never get more than 10 right answer in your Comprehension Orale for your first delf b2 exam", "There are always person who didnt pass in one batch of examination", "Delf B2 is a nightmare" and so on. The reason why i took B1 & B2 at the same time was because I am afraid just in case I did not pass the B2 to apply for a master degree at least i can use B1 to apply License 3 (L3) because DELF examinations are only held three times a year (at least in my country) hence if ever i didnt pass the November, I will have to take the upcoming March next year which will surpass the deadline of my master degree's application.

                Now, now.. I am sure now you are very curious then how the way I do it ? Well, French is a language where it is similar when you learn other languages such as German, Spanish or any other languages in the world. 3 Main keys to follow :

1. CONSISTENCY

2. PRACTICE (paper based)

3. PRACTICE (oral based, can be listening too either music, movie,etc)

And Voila~, C'est tout! OUI OUI, C'est tout !

Now now, you will think that I did not explain it on detail. But yeah, whatever methods, books, movie, games for learning French you do (read,listen,play) but if ever you missed these 3 steps then, you will never learn...Trust me,....In anyway, do not take it too hard, this is my style, it might be different than yours, you might be more intelligent and might not need one of those 3. As for myself, I practiced those 3 main keys and I succeed, so..It might be your way too ? :)

                 Based on my learning, personally, I read French language learning BOOKS such as Version Originale A1,A2, Tendances A1,A2. These books are used during my course too in the French language Institute in my city. Then, I also look up on the internet some past DELF exam questions and case where I practice it one by one to enchance my French language. I also use the DELF ABC book, it let you practice case by case for every elements that are tested in the DELF B2. As for Indonesian and other Asian, I am pretty sure that most of us have difficulties in CO (listening) and PO (Production Orale) but again, it is stereotype coz as for myself, it was different. I have difficulties in CO and CE. In order to succeed CO, there is no way than to practice it constantly and get used to the conversation which means you will need to repeat until you understand most of the sentences those had been communicated. PO, you will need to practice with someone else (friend, professeur, anyone) and if you dont have much friends to practice, you can do it by yourself by facing the mirror or record your own voice and listen to them. CE & PE, definitely easier as you just need to do the case that provided by the methods. However, keep in note all of these elements, you must enlarge your vocabulary. Do not use the beginner's slang, unformal words, and low lexical words. Keep in mind that the DELF B2 exam required you to be a professional and formal so all words spoken must be high lexical and sounds polite. Not to mention, if you have passion in French, like enjoying their novels, listening to music, watching the French news or talkshow, it will absolutely comes in handy during your exam. (TRUST ME, cause I loved some French's music and It helps me a lot). Oh, if you ask me who is my favorite singer, I will mention Anggun first as She is the first Indonesian who pursued International music career in France and succeed in the old days (1998) by her breakthrough single, Snow on the Sahara :D hehehe..

Last but not least to prove you that I passed my DELF B2 exam! Here you go ~

My DELF B2 certificate

Who says it is impossible ? No one, I have proved it is possible and so can you ! :D

Thank you for reading this post till the end and I wish you luck if ever you are taking the DELF any level coming soon !!

Oh, if you have any question, you can ask me on my personal ig (check on my profile).

Greetings with Love,

Steven

Those memorable moments in Germany with my Amazing Friend

Hello guys,

            Apologize for not showing up lately. I was kinda retiring from writing for a quite long time surely. However, do not worry as for now I decided to come back coz writing makes me happy and I really like to share all these beautiful experiences of mine to the world. I believe the universe gives to those who share.

           In anyhow, Today I will talk about my last year holiday in Europe (Germany mostly) for 14 days. I spent 14 days in total from Christmas 2018. Thanks to my amazing friend, A German, I successfully gained the Schengen visa to visit her country and of course, West Europe (Netherlands, France and Germany).

            Generally, I have a very impressive and positive impression during my visit in Germany. How could it not be ? Basically, they have a very systematic and 'ontime' public transportations from Bus,Tram,Train, etc and so on. Roads are very clean, access to park and greeneries is super easy, Fresh air is everywhere even in the city (It is not going to happen in my country especially in the big city, lol). You can also drink water during shower, drinking from the tap and yeah, fill water in the toilet which is so uncommon for European themselves (Except for myself ;p lol). At first thought before I came to Germany, What was in my mind is that Germany is a western country so food must be very unhealthy like hamburger,pizza and so on. In contrast, they are really healthy !!! High quality crops and meats are very accessible and cheaper than other countries I visited in Europe (France & Netherlands), Dairy products ? CHEAPEST as well! You definitely not able to purchase yoghurt for 20 cents in Asia !! Not to mention, they always have this promotion decks where all the products are on sale!

             Since my friend live in Stuttgart, I managed to travel the cities around this city such as Frankfurt, Darmstadt, Oberstdorf and Heidelberg. In my opinion, they are all amazing and unique. If you like skyscrappers view, go to Frankfurt. Stuttgart is more like modern city but not too sophisticated.. you can still feel some traditional and modern life mixed together which makes it comfortable. Heidelberg is more have traditional feeling regarding the architecture like old 1800-1900s eras, however not all it's just most. Darmstadt is very peaceful in some place and cool in the city center with a lot of stuffs.

            As this is a flashback series, I cannot seem to remember all. But I was fond by the architecture, cuisine (I tried many type of sausages from brown to white) in instance pastas, vegetables, salads, steak. I recalled myself finishing the tremendeous pork knuckle in Oberstdorf (Thanks to my dad's recommendation). Food is very natural I would say in Germany, they do not use much MSG and just high quality and natural products to cook which I really like cause I love healthy and natural food.

                One thing though, I think I won't survive much without my friend's help.. Services is good however people seem to be cold and direct at first sight. Of course, out of this stereotyping there are still some kind people who left like an old mate who greeted me in a church out of nowhere in Stuttgart. And main thing is people do not really speak english here and prefer to speak in German which is very understandable for those who do not have English as their first / mother language.

             In resume, I will leave you guys some pictures of mine which is very memorable and wonderful ! Thank you for visiting and reading guys ! Till next post ;)

In Amsterdam

Near my friend's house

In one of the best university in the world

The park, 10 mins from my friend's house

Forest access from the tram to the city

The Fernsturm Tower, Stuttgart

Stuttgart City Center

Mercedez Benz Museum, Stuttgart

With Yasmin, my amazing German friend

Posing together in Oberstdorf

With her and her mom

Oberstdorf !

Reunion with my friend who studied in Thailand together

Frankfurt Centerville

Oberstdorf Castle

Heidelberg, Germany

Darmstart Museum

My Flight experiences using KLM (Royal Dutch Airlines) to Amsterdam From Manila

Hello Everyone,

Today, I would like to share how was my experience with KLM (Royal Dutch Airlines) for my trip from Manila (The Philippines) to Amsterdam (The Netherlands) back on 24 December 2017. The flight was a connecting flight from Manila to Taipei that took around almost 3 hours and then from Taipei to Amsterdam for 13 hours more or less. So it was like 16 hours in total (which is new crazy experience and the longest flight I ever had, now my friends will called me brave by that B-)). As for KLM, I think this airline is well known for their brand and its excellence in punctuality, customer service, professionalism, etc. The flight itself had a bit delay however they did informed us in advance when there is a bit operational problem in the cockpit or something regarding the airport operational policy in Manila. But it was just around 10 minutes, and we depart afterwards. Suprisingly, the flight was even more than on time. I recalled when we actually arrived 20-30 minutes earlier than the schedule which is good. So below, I will give you some pictures and it's caption to show you more about what it looks like and what I have during the flight.

Where my seat is~

Business Class

I did not know that we actually will get 3 times to eat (lol, pardon me as this was the longest flight that i ever took). First, when it comes to the breakfast, they served us this Dutch biscuit called "Scroopkock" or something (sorry, if i did not pronounced it well,lol).. At the first sight, I thought it would be just ordinary undelicious biscuit ever but i was wrong, It was caramelized taste and very crispy biscuit. Yum for sure. And as for the drink, I chose Orange juice cause I loved Vitamin C! :)

As for lunch (or I would forced to call it another midnight dinner), It was pretty westernized asian food or I would say it is continental. Yeah, It was rice with chicken and some vegetables. Not to forget, it also came with Salad with olive fruits, beans,etc and then a white cake pudding which i am not sure where was it is origins. As for the drink, I got a cup of apple juice and also a bottle of mountain water.

Last but not least, the third menu consisted of Asian fried noodles with cutted-grilled chicken and tofu, greek salad (with feta cheese), fruit assortments, mini bread, salty cracker (with butter), tomato juice and a bottle of mountain water.

The flight was smooth, filled with eating, movies time and sleeping time. Also, the flight attendants were all just nice, they served me as usual like I am customer and they smile :) (which is the most important aspect for me). I cannot complain much regarding the seat as it was only the economy flight, and if ever i could say something, it's quite narrow for my legs to feel comfortable (i am not that tall anyway, just around 5.9 feet). I guess that is all what I can say regarding the flight, this is all written upon the request from my Thai friend, Banana (Sirinat Paoklangprai). Of course, not to mention, if ever any other people out there would like to book with KLM also can have some handful insight from my experience. Thank you for visiting and reading! I will update more more more tomorrowwwww~~

Long Time No Blog

Hi everybody.

Long time no see and yes I was absent in writing (blogging) for a very long time since my last post was 2013.

In anyway, I decided to be active again since I want to make my life memories on this page (blog) which I think it will be resminicing in the future or when I get older.

I will talk about a shortcut story when I stopped / vacuum blogging since 2013.

I will start with the short course scholarship I got from Kyushu University to study at the Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines, followed by my focus to study in my university in Jakarta afterwards and 1 year before my graduation and thesis defense, I was really busy doing internships, part-time jobs, my thesis itself and attending courses. Then, I got graduated by March 2015 from Binus University with a title "S.E (Sarjana Ekonomi)" or literally means "Bachelor of Economy".

Honestly speaking, I actually got a job already even before my graduation. My first full-time job was Management trainee program at OPPO Indonesia HQ. Then after 3 months of working, I was finally assigned as a Head Trainer for Jakarta region in there. In a nutshell, I was not satiesfied with the job eventhough I know there are a lot of people who wanted to get the position where I were. But afterall, passion comes first, I love to speak english, I love to connect with more International mind out there. Besides, It was not favourable to be in OPPO because I saw so many unhonest employees, even the bosses and the environment is not simply what I was looking for in my career track. So, I only stay less then a year and decided to move on from there.

In early of 2016, I chose to settle back in my hometown, Medan. I tried to stay up with family and rest up before I decided where should I go next. I finally continue my career with a local manufacturing frozen and canned seafood company in Medan. The job I did there was an International marketer for exporting. Basically, I really like the job but frankly speaking it is not about the job we like to do. Due to my condition back then, I felt like I cant save money much eventhough I felt the job is contented with what I learned back in University. Again and again, I just last for 3 months there which was the probation duration. I decided not to continue and choose to pursue career abroad. It was May 2016 that I decided to go to the Philippines to look for job. First of all, Philippines was not my first choice of course, but It was too difficult for me to get job in Singapore. Second, I know Philippines is where the BPO industries rule. Hence by that mean, I realized there are a lot of multilingual speaking job in the Philippines. Luckily, I am fluent in English and Indonesian Bahasa. Talking about getting a job here in the Philippines, it was surely not easy. I did get an offer in the first month when I stayed there, but then I was choosy. What happened was I did not realized that multi-lingual jobs there were very seasonal especially Bahasa Indonesia speaking job. Throughout all year, you can find Chinese speaking, Korean, Japanese and Spanish vacancies but not for Indonesian. I rejected few companies before I actually get a job and the duration was 3 months. Finally, by August 2016 I joined a company named CCP, Inc. Which the abbreviation stands for Container, Chassis & Parts, Inc. It's an US -based company but they are off-shoring in the Philippines to save some costs and yeah I am responsible for the Indonesian market on that time.

Okay, I think that is enough for now. I am sure my writing about my past here would be handy in one day for some people. If there is anybody who would like to know how to get job here, you also can ask me or if anything related. Without doubt, I will also talk my life and how is life in Metro Manila in my blog here too.

So stay tune~!

Recent Life

Dear Blogwalkers,

I'm sorry these days i'm too busy for blogging.

Since May, which is the last time i post something in this blog, I'm so busy to study for my mid-term exams and beside that, i also apply so many programs and competitions outside. The results & fruitions are in upcoming days. Recently, i'm too busy for my part-time job, i'm working as creative writer in one of the education company here in Jakarta. Few days ago, i also apply for some scholarships. Well, i did get some bad results, which is i'm not accepted to join the programs. but there are few programs which accept me as well..that's the thing i called "what goes around comes back around" ! I will still hold my motto of life "Never Give Up" and "Keep Learning" !! I have to reach my dreams whatever happens, i'm doin my best for my families and my princess in Japan as well..

Things seem to be impossible, but i believe the word itselves said "I'm possible" , and we never know if we never try it, so at least i have to try and keep my best to reach it :)

Anyway, i gonna post old things around in the future. When i exchange to Thailand, doing short course in the Philippines, and yeah travel around Singapore. I just need time to refresh for it, too many things keep me lazy doing these things. But promise is a promise, i'm going to keep my words for you !! I just have to find a right time :)

See you later, i'm gonna continue my work again ! :)

Best Regards,

Yos Steven

Short Trip to Singapore

Hello Buddies ^_^
I went to Singapore for 3 days, and i wanna share my experiences after the trip.
Actually, I have been to Singapore so many times since i were child.. maybe it's my tenth, or maybe more.. i don't count it already.. and it's quite rare for Indonesian to go that often, so i called myself really lucky.
For me, Singapore is really a beautiful country that was really liveable as well in ASEAN !! i mean, if you compare to any other capital city in ASEAN, maybe i'll choose Singapore, everywhere the Human Resources has professional quality, eventhough when they can't give you the best services ever they tried the best to keep their proffesionalism.
And for the Public Transportation, it's all depend your choices and budget, since they have so many choices starts from Bus,Taxi,MRT,etc..
The City is very clean and supporting GO GREEN as well, so many plants and trees everywhere in the town,city,places.. Skyscrapper is everywhere, start from the apartment for the societies, the Business tower for working places, until Hotel , where the Tourist stay in !!
Everybody were quite friendly, depend on who you met, and they are really pay attention to the country's regulations. Everything in Singapore can be reconsider Expensive if i compared it to my own country's things. I bought Merlion Chocolates for about 20S$ , so it's about 160.000 IDR, and that's truly expensive for Chocolate size.
Anyway, for the language.. Mainly, Peoples speak English but if they are Chinese, they prefer to speak Chinese,and when they see you are Chinese peoples as well, they will start to speak Chinese to you. Because, i have experienced that, Whenever, wherever i starts wanna buy something, the sellers will speak Mandarin to me, and I was like "I'm sorry, I only can speak English and they were like suprised".
Well, I'm from Indonesia but for sure i have chinese blood and i wanna learn Mandarin. :)
Maybe for this time trip, it gives me learning to love the Chinese language, it has been so interesting to practice it here in Singapore, and i'm going to Visit Singapore again in the future, often or not often, but surely yes !

Anyway, let me share you the picture with the caption within it !!! ENJOY ~! If you have any questions regarding my travel experiences, and wanna know me better just starts email me okay , yos_steven@yahoo.co.id. ^_^

Buffet Breakfast VIEW @ Holiday Inn Hotel ,Singapore Atrium

Orchard Road

Orchard Road

China Town , Singapore

China Town , Singapore

Eu Tong Sen St,  China Town

Orchard Road

Singapore Visitors Centre

Merlion Souvenir

Outing Program to Cinangneng, Ciampea, Bogor (INDONESIA)

Well,
OhaiyouGozaimasu , everybody..
It has been long time i did no blogging , so sad right ? but it's okay i'm going to continue my old hobby again ! it's fun actually, i was just lazy !
so Last Saturday, I went to Cinangneng town for the Ibuddy's outing program.

At The first time, i feel somehow sad, since i didn't know anyone much, okay let me tell you the story..hope it's not long
So, this Ibuddy program is a program where i'm the student of my University have to guide an international student who exchanged to my university for a semester or more ,so each person got one person to guide or maybe more. Fortunately,i only got one and his nationality is Dutch.
And the story is i didn't join the orientation , so i know nobody, but day by day it seems i just can't get out from the Internationalization. I met many international students and help them,after that i introduce myself to them and then they know me.
but what makes me afraid is there are still a lot of exchange students who didn't know me before, but it seems everything went well, i introduced myself to everybody and it's just GREAT !!
 Yeah ,the story weren't long right
so let's get into the core ! I'll upload the pictures and tell you everything just by adding the caption into it ! hope you gonna enjoy and amazed by the beautiful CINANGNENG~ :D

The Outstanding View

Swimming Pool

The Cinangneng River

Me with the Musical Instruments from Sunda

The Front Gate

Toys from Cassava Leaves

Me with musical instruments from Sunda

The Farm

Me with Andreas, one of my good friends

with the Thai exchange students

Dancing while the man guide the boat

Togetherness Photo

Group Photo