My Blog

When there is a will there is a way

Tidak pernah ada kata terlambat untuk belajar.

Dosen saya dulu pernah bilang, setiap lima tahun sekali kita harus mempelajari sesuatu yang baru agar sinaps-sinaps di otak kita senantiasa bekerja dan bertambah banyak. Terbukti, beliau masih aktif mengajar di usianya yang lewat kepala tujuh, hebat!

Contoh hidup yang juga menakjubkan adalah promotor saya, beliau meraih gelar PhD di usianya yang ke-60. Walau rambutnya sudah memutih, tapi beliau punya semangat dan rasa ingin tahu yang luar biasa, termasuk mempelajari program statistik yang njlimet untuk sebagian banyak orang.

Ayah saya sendiri baru mulai memasuki bangku universitas ketika saya duduk di bangku SD. Saya masih ingat saat membuat skripsi ayah saya setiap pagi menginstruksikan ibu saya untuk mengetikkan tesisnya dengan mesin tik yang sampai saat ini masih setia menemani ayah saya bekerja. Setiap malam sepulang kerja ayah akan mengkoreksi apa yang sudah diketik oleh ibu. Begitu terus sampai akhirnya beliau berhasil mendapatkan gelar sarjananya.

Terakhir, yang membuat saya tergerak untuk membuat blog ini adalah sms dari seorang teman, tepatnya seorang kakak yang telah banyak membantu saya saat saya masih bergelut dengan dunia klinik beberapa tahun ke belakang. Tepat lima tahun lalu,  saat usianya juga di mid-thirties, ia mulai  memasuki bangku universitas. Kuliah sambil bekerja. Pergi pagi pulang malam, seperti ayah saya. Dan tidak sia-sia, bulan ini dia berhasil meraih gelar sarjananya. Malahan dia sudah melamar untuk melanjutkan program pascasarjana di UI. Motivasinya mulia, mewujudkan impiannya untuk menjadi seorang guru. Insya Allah terlaksana...

Jadi kesimpulan saya, when there is a will there is a way, as simple as that...

Inspiring interview

One thing I like most from interview is that you can learn how other people live their life in a very much different remarkable way. As last week, we interviewed with an applicant for a postgraduate master program in occupational medicine. First impression, nothing special: just an ordinary female in her thirties. But never judge a book from its cover! When she started talking, we suddenly noticed that she is not an ordinary applicant, not at all...

She flew all the way from another island to join this program; she's the pioneer, my senior colleague said. And I was amazed just by imagining how she's going to manage traveling back and forth between the two islands every week. She has to take all kind of transportation: buses, boats, and air planes and spend not less than 12-18 hours one way just to attend the weekend classes! Not mentioning how much budget she has to spend to do this as a routine for 2 years! Not mentioning how she's going to run her own drug store, rubber plants, and of course working as a physician! Not mentioning how she's going to handle taking care of her two kids and her new born baby; basically playing her role as a wife and a mother!

We were worried she'll be exhausted right from the beginning. But she determined that this is what she wants, this is what her region needs, and her achievement will benefit a very large working population in her region in long term. We were still in doubts, but she tried consistently to convince us that things will work out pretty well. She said, even during her medical school, she had to do extra jobs to get the tuition fee paid, and still she finished on time with distinction. Finally she said, “I have a great husband… He is willing to work at home by running the drug store and take care of the kids while I am working. I have been able doing all of these because of him and his full support, and I am very grateful for that”.

That 30 minutes interview was very inspiring. We wish the best for her and hope to see her with the diploma in 2010!

Acknowledgements

First of all, I would like to thank God more for making this happen.

Alhamdulillahirobil al’amin… all praise is due to Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala…

 

On June 6th 2008 at 12.45 I defended my thesis at Academiegebouw, University Utrecht. Just a short flash back, my story started in April 2002, when a group of professors from the Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, of UMC Utrecht, The Netherlands came to Jakarta for a one week course on clinical epidemiology. This course was an eye opener for me and showed that epidemiology is an interesting branch in medicine and is not all about statistics! I interviewed one of the professors about life as a clinical researcher and I thank him, who turned out to be my promotor, for inspiration.

 

In October 2002, I specifically asked the program co-ordinator at the NIHES if they had a research project for my Master’s thesis in occupational medicine. That led me to a collaborative project between IRAS-Environmental Epidemiology division and Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, UMC Utrecht. From that time on, I have been working with Prof. Dr. Dick Heederik and Prof. Dr. Diederick Grobbee, who are now my promotors and and Dr. Evert Meijer my co-promotor. I am grateful that I had the chance to learn a lot from these excellent persons, professionally and personally. Thank you for everything: for the opportunity, for the encouragement, for being a teacher and supporter all at the same time. 

 

To everyone helping me with the bakery project: Birgit Stuurman, Eef van Otterloo, Frits van Rooy, Isabella Oosting, Jack Spithoven, Jos Rooijackers, Jose Jacobs, Joris van Loenhout, Lieke Gerris, Mischa Zengeni, Tim Meijster, and Vanessa Zaat, thank you for the team work! Special thanks go to NetherlandsTim and Jack, my paranimfen. Tim, thank you for helping me from the very beginning: finding me a room, showing me the beauty of the Netherlands,for all the dinners with Marjoke (and Wiebe), and yet being a very informative and constructive co-worker in the project! Jack, I have always been amazed by the speed with which you have been running those assays! You are the only person I know who could handle the hardest situation with laughter. Keep on being strong and cheerful!

 

At this occasion I would also like to thank all who contributed to my thesis, especially Dr. Yvonne Vergouwe, who has been my great tutor in statistical modelling. My analytical skills have also been improving thanks to the “Prediction Club” at Julius Center, lead by Prof. Dr. Carl Moons. The group keeps on growing in numbers and quality. I thank Corne, Jolanda, Kristel, Diane, Peter, Lidewij, Martijn, and Teus (the “old” members); Geert, Joris, Roelof, Mireille, Sjoerd, and Linda (the new members); and most of all, Carl, for sharing your knowledge every other Monday. Hope all of us will become “accurate and valid predictors”!

 

I would also like to thank Dr. Denyse Gautrin, Dr. Jean-Luc Malo and Dr .Heberto Ghezzo for giving me a chance to do a 1-year fellowship at the Asthma in the Workplace Centre,

Montreal, Canada. It is a privilege because before the fellowship I only knew you from text books and papers and I never thought that I would have this rare opportunity to work in close contact with you. Merci beaucoup, it’s been wonderful to work with you! My appreciation also goes to Sylvie, Roberto, Lucero, Samah, Khadija, Christina, Sandra, Sebastien, and the members of the axe de recherche en santé respiratoire, Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal, who made my stay a fruitful one.

 

To Dr. LondonMark Nieuwenhuijsen from Imperial College-NHLI (London), Dr. David Fishwick from HSL (Sheffield), Dr. Susan Kennedy from UBC (Vancouver), Dr. Kathleen Kreiss from NIOSH (Morgantown), Sally Brown from the EIS program (Atlanta), Dr. Manon Kluijtmans from Julius Center (Utrecht), Prof. Dr. Bambang Sutrisna from FKMUI (Jakarta), Prof. dr. Sudigdo Sastroasmoro from FKUI (Jakarta), and Prof. dr. Saleha Sungkar from YPIDI (Jakarta), it has been a great pleasure to knowing you in person. I hope our collaboration will continue in the future.

 

To my seniors and colleagues at the Community Medicine Department, especially Prof. dr. Bastaman Basuki, Prof. Dr. Corrie Wawolumaya, dr. Zarni Amri, Dr. Muchtaruddin Mansyur dr. Novi Arifiani and dr. Retno Asti Werdhani, thank you for your support and back up while I was away (for such a long period!). To dr. Nitra Rifky, thank you for giving me the very chance to enter the whole system. To my head of department, dr. Setyawati Budiningsih, thank you for your trust and being very supportive and open minded…

 

Last but not least, I’d like to thank all my friends and the greatest people who helped me through the good and bad times, and make these few years as one blink of an eye. To my office mates (Mieke, Mariella, Wouter, Frank, Lot, Maaike, and Esmeralda) and my housemates (Ebru, Celal, Bilgen, Daniel, Jessica, Maxi, Scato, Sandra, Marja and Corine), thank you for cheering up my days. Especially Shuwen, Ilka, and Sarah, thank you for being more than good friends! 

To Indonesian muslim communities (PPMR, PPME Rotterdam, PPME Den Haag, Bina Da’wah Utrecht, and Syiar Montreal), especially to the family of Bpk. Endro Harsono, Bpk. Rifai Hasan, Bpk. Sigit, Bpk. Lilik, Bpk. Hendro, Bpk. Ali, Mbak Debby, Mbak Martini, Bpk. Ridwan, Ibu Taty, Ibu Fatima, Mbak Wilkaziana, Mbak Laila, Bpk. Razak, Bpk. Pourchez, Bpk. Donni, Bpk. Bachtiar, Bpk. John Kasijo, Ibu Dewi, Mbak Nita and Mas Yusuf, Mbak Masinah and Mas Franklin, Risda and Supardi, Eha and Andi, thank you for making me feel like being at home and being my family abroad.

To my friends during my master course: Hamid (and Gisso and Kiana), Made, Wangge, Isabelle,  Haris, Novita, Henny, Vica, Jamaiyah, Kiad, Esther, Elisa, Gloria, Regie, Monica, Natalia, and Daniela, thank you for the genuine friendship and always being great supporters. To Ingrid, Evelyn, Giene, and Annina, thank you for taking care of my paper work and arranging countless appointments! To everyone at IRAS EEPI, Jelena, Anjoeka, Rocio, Angeles, Fatima and Youssef, Mbak Hesti and Anya, Mbak Anna, Mbak Imelda and Nico, Ratih, Liesye, Teddy, Ari, Jessica, Fleur, Marije, Aicha, Nike, Ika, Vicka, Mila, Sura, Pipit, Lina, Neny, Mira, Diyah, Prapti, Vivi, Leila, Mbak Jiah and Mas Iskandar, Mbak Hermina and Rene, Atiet, Ratna, Fenida, Kadek, Liana, Bili, Achie, Suryaningsih, Soraya, Eka and everyone in my long list who I do not name one by one, thank you for your valuable contribution to my achievements!

To Hapidudin, thank you for your understanding and faith in me. You were my biggest supporter during the most critical phase in my study, so this achievement is for you too! I am really glad that since the past year you have always been there for me and I wish you all the best  for your study and career in near future dear!

 

I finally want to express my utmost gratitude to my family for giving me freedom to do what I believe in. With out your prayers and sincere love, I will never become of what I am. I love you!!! Untuk Bapak, Mama, Santhy, Sherley, Media dan Clara terima kasih atas dukungan, doa, dan kasih sayang kalian. Tanpa kalian, hari ini tidak akan menjadi kenyataan...

 

The Road not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both....
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I
I took the one less travelled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Robert Frost, 1920

Unwritten

By Natasha Bedingfield (click on the name to see the video clip)

 

I am unwritten, can't read my mind, I'm undefined
I'm just beginning, the pen's in my hand, ending unplanned

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find
Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions

Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten

I break tradition, sometimes my tries, are outside the lines
We've been conditioned to not make mistakes, but I can't live that way

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find
Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions

Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten

Parable Of The Pencil - Pencil story

The Pencil Maker took the pencil aside, just before putting him into the box.

"There are 5 things you need to know," He told the pencil, "Before I send you out into the world. Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best pencil you can be."

"One: You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in Someone's hand."

"Two: You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, but you'll need it to become a better pencil."

"Three: You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make."

"Four: The most important part of you will always be what's inside."

"And Five: On every surface you are used on, you must leave your mark. No matter what the condition, you must continue to write."

The pencil understood and promised to remember, and went into the box with purpose in its heart. Now replacing the place of the pencil with you. Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best person you can be.

One: You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in God's hand. And allow other human beings to access you for the many gifts you possess.

Two: You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, by going through various problems in life, but you'll need it to become a stronger person.

Three: You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make.

Four: The most important part of you will always be what's on the inside.

And Five: On every surface you walk through, you must leave your mark. No matter what the situation, you must continue to do your duties.



Allow this parable on the pencil to encourage you to know that you are a special person and only you can fulfill the purpose to which you were born to accomplish.

Never allow yourself to get discouraged and think that your life is insignificant and cannot make a change.

 

Good people...

In a couple of days we'll end the year 2007. I conclude that 2007 is a year of friendship and networking. Alhamdulillah I was given chances to know great people, either professionally, personally, or both; from the  unexpected friendship at the hospital until the acquaintances that I made in  various (strange) situations.

New York
Early in the morning I was waiting for a bus in Greyhound station, New York. I was a total stranger to this city. Next to me standing a middle age lady. It's pretty obvious that she's a Muslim; she wore a necklace hanger with the symbol of Allah. She seemed to be a kind person, so I initiated the conversation. I asked if she was also going to Washington DC, and she was. The next few minutes I knew that she's a Pakistani lady who's been living for years in the US. She used to work at one of the biggest research institute in the city as an administrative staff before she resigned a few years ago. Then we sat next to each other on the bus, which gave me a feeling of security as I traveled alone. In more or less two hours trip I knew a lot about her and her family, and vice versa. She has one daughter who is much younger than me. She kindly invited me to come over to her place, which is located close by from Washington. It's a pity that I didn't have much time to travel, so I had to refuse her offer. She asked where I'd be staying in the city and if I knew the place already. As a budget traveler I said honestly that I'd be staying in a hostel a few blocks from the bus station. I printed the direction given on their website, but had no clue if I would find it easily. On our arrival, this lady was so worried about me getting lost in this capital city of the US. I tried to convince her that I'd be fine, but she insisted me to join her. The next thing happened was we arrived in front of my hostel with her cab. She looked relieved and told me to contact her if I needed anything. I couldn't thank her more... Motherly she said that it was her duty to protect me, because at the same time she thought of her daughter. "We are Muslim, we have to help each other. It is my duty to help you because you are new in this city..." I promised to call her before leaving, and I did. Again, she kindly invited me to come over when ever I visit the city. Insya Allah I would, if I have the chance...

Atlanta
The first thing you want to do when you have an interview is to arrive on time. So, I ordered a yellow cab to pick me up as early as 7AM. At 6.50AM a cab was there, waiting in front of my hostel. I thanked the driver for being on time. To break the silence I started the conversation with standard questions. He comes from Palestine, he was a teacher back in his country but he has been a cab driver since his arrival in the US. He is a middle age man who has been working alone for his family in Palestine. Alhamdulillah his family are doing fine there. He asked why I was traveling to the city. I told him my intention, and he sympathized because I traveled all the way from Montreal to do the interview. Again, an unexpected thing happened. We were halfway to our destination when he turned off the argometer (I expected to pay at least 35 USD). He said, "Look, I am helping you because we are Muslim. I will not charge you anything." Then he started writing his address and phone number. "If in the afternoon you need a cab to take you to the airport, just call me. I'll come and pick you up," he said while handing over the piece of paper. I was totally speechless and again couldn't thank him for more...

I couldn't describe how I was amazed of this beautiful bound of  brotherhood in Islam.  Good people do exist in this harsh world, if you believe in their existence.  A total stranger might turn out to be a genuine hero. I could only thank God for His beautiful and kind arrangements. Alhamdulillahirrobilalamiin ...

C'est la vie

In the past few weeks a lot of things are happening surround me...

Few couples are expecting their babies...
Two couples are celebrating their new born baby girl...
One couple had to stay for weeks in the hospital because their few-weeks-old son had to undergo surgery for hydrocephalus...
One couple were about to migrate to another country but they postponed the plan because his mother passed away...
Few couples are planning to get married...
One couple just got married...
One friend had a broken heart after a rejection...
One couple went to court to get divorce...
One friend almost finishes her PhD...
One friend just got accepted for a new PhD position...

Above all, there's a friend whose father has been hospitalized for years for his stroke, his mom was diagnosed a cancer and the doctor said she has only a few weeks left, and his mother in law has been hospitalized due to neurology disorder. He, as the eldest son in the family, is responsible to take care of everything, but he keeps on smiling and laughing at work. Every morning he comes and gives his sweet greeting to me, "Hi good morning sunshine!" and all of us are amazed how he can handle such a situation with such a great sense of humor. I asked him, what's his secret, and he simply said that, "This is life dear, when you learned that there's nothing you can do to change it, then learn to live with it..."

I learn that there's always a beginning and an end, some are good, some are bad,
we never know for sure what will happen in our future... Just keep on praying that may He take a good care of each of us, our beloved family and friends, amiin...

Seorang Tukang Kayu

Seorang tukang kayu tua bermaksud pensiun dari pekerjaannya di sebuah perusahaan konstruksi real estate. Ia menyampaikan keinginannya tersebut pada pemilik perusahaan. Tentu saja, karena tak bekerja, ia akan kehilangan penghasilan bulanannya, tetapi keputusan itu sudah bulat. Ia merasa lelah. Ia ingin beristirahat dan menikmati sisa hari tuanya dengan penuh kedamaian bersama istri dan keluarganya.

Pemilik perusahaan merasa sedih kehilangan salah seorang pekerja
terbaiknya. Ia lalu minta pada tukang kayu tersebut untuk membuatkan sebuah rumah untuk dirinya. Tukang kayu mengangguk menyetujui permohonan pribadi pemilik perusahaan itu. Tapi, sebenarnya ia merasa terpaksa. Ia ingin segera berhenti. Pikirannya tidak sepenuhnya dicurahkan. Dengan ogah-ogahan ia mengerjakan proyek itu. Ia cuma menggunakan bahan-bahan sekedarnya. Akhirnya selesailah rumah yang diminta. Hasilnya bukanlah sebuah rumah baik. Sungguh sayang ia harus mengakhiri kariernya dengan prestasi yang tidak begitu mengagumkan.

Ketika pemilik perusahaan itu datang melihat rumah yang dimintanya, ia menyerahkan sebuah kunci rumah pada si tukang kayu.
" Rumah ini adalah rumah kamu," kata sang pemilik perusahaan.
" Hadiah dari saya sebagai penghargaan atas pengabdian kamu selama ini."

Betapa terkejutnya si tukang kayu. Betapa malu dan menyesalnya. Seandainya saja ia mengetahui bahwa ia sesungguhnya mengerjakan rumah untuk dirinya sendiri, ia tentu akan mengerjakannya dengan cara yang lain sama sekali. Kini ia harus tinggal di sebuah rumah yang tak terlalu bagus hasil karyanya sendiri.

Itulah yang terjadi pada kehidupan kita. Kadangkala, banyak dari kita yang membangun kehidupan dengan cara yang aneh. Lebih memilih berusaha ala kadarnya ketimbang mengupayakan yang terbaik. Bahkan, pada bagian-bagian terpenting dalam hidup, kita tidak memberikan yang terbaik. Pada akhir perjalanan kita terkejut saat melihat apa yang telah kita lakukan dan menemukan diri kita hidup di dalam sebuah rumah yang kita ciptakan sendiri. Seandainya kita menyadarinya, sejak semula kita akan menjalani hidup ini dengan cara yang jauh berbeda.

Renungkan bahwa kita adalah si tukang kayu. Renungkan rumah yang sedang kita bangun. Setiap hari kita memukul paku, memasang papan, mendirikan dinding dan atap. Mari kita selesaikan rumah kita dengan sebaik-baiknya seolah-olah hanya mengerjakannya sekali saja dalam seumur hidup. Hidup kita esok adalah akibat sikap dan pilihan yang kita perbuat hari ini. Hidup adalah proyek yang kita kerjakan sendiri. Keberhasilan yang diraih, atau kegagalan yang menimpa dapat ditelusuri jauh ke dalam diri kita masing-masing.Karena KITA-LAH YANG MENJALANI semua ini.Bukan orang lain.

" Seorang bijak pernah mengatakan demikian :
Amatilah pikiranmu, karena akan menjadi ucapanmu.
Amatilah ucapanmu, karena akan menjadi tindakanmu.
Amatilah tindakanmu, karena akan menjadi kebiasaanmu.
Amatilah kebiasaanmu, karena akan menjadi karaktermu.
Amatilah karaktermu, karena akan menjadi nasibmu.
Di atas semua itu, amatilah dirimu sendiri.
Hanya mereka yang mengenal dirinya-lah yang akan mencapai kebahagiaan yang sesungguhnya."

***Thanks for Agus sandra for sharing this beautiful and inspiring story.

You Are Loved (Don't Give Up)

A very nice song and touching video by Josh Groban
(click on the name to see the clip).

***
You Are Loved (Don't Give Up)

Don't give up
It's just the weight of the world
When your heart's heavy
I...I will lift it for you

Don't give up
Because you want to be heard
If silence keeps you
I...I will break it for you

Everybody wants to be understood
Well I can hear you
Everybody wants to be loved
Don't give up
Because you are loved

Don't give up
It's just the hurt that you hide
When you're lost inside
I...I'll be there to find you

Don't give up
Because you want to burn bright
If darkness blinds you
I...I will shine to guide you

Everybody wants to be understood
Well I can hear you
Everybody wants to be loved
Don't give up
Because you are loved
You are loved

Don't give up
It's just the weight of the world
You are loved

Don't give up
Everyone needs to be heard
You are loved

Eid Celebration in Three Countries

I've been away from my family during Eid celebration for the last 4 years. Alhamdulillah there are many friends with whom I can celebrate this special day. This year celebration was also special because I had some reunions with my old friends in The Netherlands, Belgium, and France. I made the trip with Vivi, a friend of mine from Eindhoven. Vivi had never been to France, so we planed to include France in our short round trip. It's the best thing of living in a Schengen country, everywhere is so close!

We started the trip by visiting Mbak Wiwi in Rotterdam. Mbak Wiwi is an old friend from Muslim student association in Rotterdam. She kindly invited us to break the last fasting together with typical Lebaran food such as lontong and gulai Padang. The next day we went to Santoso Center and celebrated Eid with the Indonesian community there. Santoso Center is a special culture center where you can find a large group of Indonesian, Dutch and Surinam Muslim people mingle together. No wonder the Eid speech was given in three languages: Dutch, Indonesian, and Javanese!

In the afternoon we departed to Brugge in Belgium to visit Mbak Imelda and her husband, Bang Nico. Mbak Imelda used to live in Rotterdam and she is going to deliver her baby soon. Brugge is a famous and touristic city in Belgium. Its city center looks like an open museum where buildings from the 17th centuries are still well preserved in their original shapes. However, due to railway construction, we arrived late around 7PM. We went straight to the city center and took a couple of pictures in Brugge city centrum before Mbak Imelda and Bang Nico, picked us up. We visited their home in Beernem and ate Belgian fries and fish sate! It was a nice reunion since I haven't et her since Feb 2006, too bad it's too short.

Around 10PM they drove us to Fatima's place in Deinze. I lived with Fatima for 2 months when I did my Master in Rotterdam. In December 2005 she moved to Belgium to study nursing. At first we planed to go to Euro Disney in Paris, but due to time restriction (since we have to catch an early train to go back to the Netherlands) the plan was changed. On Sunday morning we went to Lille, a city near the border between Belgium and France. The city is beautiful, especially the Vieux (Old) Lille. After a few hours walking around, we returned to Belgium.

To our surprise, on the train there's a French lady who politely talked to us in Bahasa! "Halo Mbak, datang dari Indonesia, ya?" asked Melanie Martini to us. Melanie was so happy to have chance to talk to me and Vivi in Bahasa. She lived in Jogja for 2 years  and she told us how much she loves Indonesia: the country, the people, the culture, and the food. How proud we were to hear it from a turned out to be a former CCF Director. Before saying good bye Melanie gave us her name card and invited us to come again to Lille, how sweet of her.

After almost 2 hours trip by train we arrived in Antwerpen CentraI Station to change train to the Netherlands. We took a small round tour nearby the station. Antwerpen is the city of jewelry. The first things we saw when we walked out the station are diamond shops along the way its main road. Too bad they are too expensive hehehe... The second thing we recognized was the strong smell of Belgian wafels; so tempting! So we indulged our self with some wafel and ice cream!

It's almost 9 o'clock in the evening when we finally reached Hertogenbosch, a city located 10 minutes by train from Eindhoven, our final destination. In this station I was almost separated from Vivi when the train door was closed in front of our very eyes while Vivi was still on the platform. Vivi rushed to one officer and persuaded him to open the door, and thanks God the door miraculously was opened and we laughed all the way imagining how things would be if we were separated.

So in overall it was a pleasant trip although we felt so tired on our trip back. I slept over at Vivi's place in Eindhoven and on Monday, after making pictures with the giant bowling, one of the Eindhoven's landmark, I took a morning train back to Utrecht, straight to my office.

To Vivi who is going to leave for Scotland to start her PhD in November, all the best for your study. I really had a fun trip! Hope I could visit you in Dundee before I leave the Netherlands :-)