LATAH

Taiwan’s “bad” habits-routines I brought along home are listed as follows : 

1. Walking/Riding on the right side 

     During my first week in Jakarta, I was just traveled around by car, hitchhiking here and there either with my cousins, Oom, Tante or my father. Simply speaking, I was on my safe zone. Then, when I planned to see Panda, I finally met my challenge. BUS. Xixixi. I kept walking on the right side at transjakarta’s hub bridge. Still, I kept staring at people I’ve bumped as if that was their mistakes, -I am the right one and you are breaking the law!. Hahahaaaa…rusuh pangkat sembilan =)). 

     When I arrived at home and riding my motorcycle, I kept taking the right side as well. My sister never stopped hitting my back and shouted freakily [“Ya Allah, Mbak….ambil kiri!!! Sini aku aja yang di depan. Nanti kita kecelakaan lg. Gawat ini kalau Mbak Bunga bawa motor sendiri. Ck ck ck…”]. Mwahahaaaa…kacauuuu…. 

2. Passing the curfew without feeling guilty

“Nak, dimana sekarang? Pulang lah…ini sudah malam”, texted my father. It was 7pm. Having lived freely without curfew for two years, I forgot the curfew my father had set. My brother used to accompany me if I wanted to go somewhere at night. I never wandering around alone after the sun have set. In Taiwan? I always go to the lab at 10 p.m or so, come back from my in-between-cities-activities very late and such. If my father only knew about those things...xixixi. 

3. Ironing? What is that?

"Bung, kok kamu jadi zuhud [read : gembel] gini sih sekarang?", teased my friend in one session of our reunion. Feels quite convenient with no-ironed-clothings and flip-flop to meet people, i am no longer the old me -crispy clothings-mary jane-or-sneakers-or-flat slingback mania. I've tried to keep up with the old me during my first year in Taiwan, ironing my clothes and wearing appropriate footwear, but after that...hahaha...well, it's just happen to be like that. 


4. Fixed price? No way!
"Ga ada diskon untuk mahasiswa, Mbak?...Harganya ga bisa kurang?", asked me while holding a backpack at one of the sport outlet in one of the biggest malls in Jakarta. Hahaha...udah berasa di Beringharjo atau Malioboro aja pake nawar2 segala :)). Well, in Taiwan, we can bargain and get a discount even at Shinkong Mitsukoshi, the most prestigious shopping mall. The price can be reduced max. 10 % of its price tag. We just have to be "muka tembok" and set the most innocent face =p. Give it a try :D....