Shinta Benilda, a good friend describes Canberra same as Klepon. She thinks their impression of Canberra is as if you just eat the outer part of the klepon and they didn’t really try the middle part of it. If they try to live here, then they’ll find out that Canberra is a very easy city to live in. It has gorgeous lakes, easy road to travel with no traffic jams, which makes our life more manageable and allows us to spend good quality time with our family & friends.
Indeed, Canberra is like a klepon where one has to taste it wholly in order to love it. I couldn't agree more with her :).
So I'm not complaining about Canberra, the only thing that I complaint about is the cold weather during Winter. I was born and grew up in a tropical country so the -3 degrees Celcius during Winter is an absolute torture for me, but I started to handle it better than the first time I got here. The key is to keep myself warm, stay in a warm place like my apartment and rugged up when I'm going outside and I'm good.
I have been living in Canberra for 16 months in August 2010 and we have to move again to Pohnpei.
Where the hell is Pohnpei?
Pohnpei "upon (pohn) a stone altar (pei)" (formerly known as Ponape) is the name of one of the four states in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), situated among the Senyavin Islands which are part of the larger Caroline Islands group. You can read more about it here and here.
So moving from Jakarta (Jabodetabek) with population of over 23 million to Canberra with population of 351,200 as at the end of June 2009 was surely create a culture shock for me. And I'm going to move to Pohnpei with the population approximately 34,000 well hellooo... no doubt that there will be another huge culture shock.
But I'm not going to complaint and bitching about it (hopefully I can keep this promise for 2 years while we live there), because: 1) I also responsible with the decision to tick the place and put it on the list of 10 places that he can apply for, 2) I choose to be with him, which his work requires him to move country every 2 years of less and back to Canberra after that, 3) I want to challenge myself out of my comfort zone.
The attitude that I will carry is I am going to make the best of it. The Belgian diplomat I met on Saturday inspired me that attitude. She has been living far from home for years and sometimes she has to live at places that comparatively bellow standard in compare to Belgium, but she always make the best of it.
I like that positive attitude. The key is don't compare to my comfort zone and acceptance. If I keep comparing then I will be bitching about it no doubt and it will be never ending complaint.
Here is a glimpse of what I will be facing in Pohnpei:
The view
One of not many clothes shops in the island
One of the lunch spot with good view
The breathtaking sunset
One of the wet markets where we can buy fresh fish
I'm praying there will be decent beauty salon there :)
I have been living in Canberra for 16 months in August 2010 and we have to move again to Pohnpei.
Where the hell is Pohnpei?
Pohnpei "upon (pohn) a stone altar (pei)" (formerly known as Ponape) is the name of one of the four states in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), situated among the Senyavin Islands which are part of the larger Caroline Islands group. You can read more about it here and here.
So moving from Jakarta (Jabodetabek) with population of over 23 million to Canberra with population of 351,200 as at the end of June 2009 was surely create a culture shock for me. And I'm going to move to Pohnpei with the population approximately 34,000 well hellooo... no doubt that there will be another huge culture shock.
But I'm not going to complaint and bitching about it (hopefully I can keep this promise for 2 years while we live there), because: 1) I also responsible with the decision to tick the place and put it on the list of 10 places that he can apply for, 2) I choose to be with him, which his work requires him to move country every 2 years of less and back to Canberra after that, 3) I want to challenge myself out of my comfort zone.
The attitude that I will carry is I am going to make the best of it. The Belgian diplomat I met on Saturday inspired me that attitude. She has been living far from home for years and sometimes she has to live at places that comparatively bellow standard in compare to Belgium, but she always make the best of it.
I like that positive attitude. The key is don't compare to my comfort zone and acceptance. If I keep comparing then I will be bitching about it no doubt and it will be never ending complaint.
Here is a glimpse of what I will be facing in Pohnpei:
The view
One of not many clothes shops in the island
One of the lunch spot with good view
The breathtaking sunset
One of the wet markets where we can buy fresh fish
I'm praying there will be decent beauty salon there :)Pohnpei photos taken by Peng Wee Tan, sunset photo found on internet.
