My Life at UIBE from 2nd March 2007 to 8th January 2008 # Beijing - China

In Mar 2nd, 2007, I start my journey in Beijing to learning Chinese Language at 北京对外经济贸易大学 *beijing duiwai jingji maoyi daxue* University of International Bussiness and Economics which known as UIBE (http://www.uibe.edu.cn/).

I apply for the chinese language course at December 2006, with the help of my cousin that study at 中医 *zhongyi* (北京中医药大学, *beijing zhongyiyao daxue* Beijing University of Chinese Medicine - http://www.bucm.edu.cn/). She help me to apply at UIBE and I send the documents by Fax.

Then in January 2007, my approvement to joined the Chinese Language in Beijing was arrived, then I apply my visa at Nusantara Tour Yogyakarta (http://www.nusatovel.com/site/id/). I need to do medical examination, but when I'm at Yogyakarta, I only check-up for HIV, Hepatitis and Drugs. All of my friend, doing the complete medical check-up which cost much. (But when I'm arrived at Beijing, I need to do another medical examination at hospital with the help from school, and it didn't cost as much as when you do it in Indonesia).

Because when I came to Beijing time, my cousin will not be there (she had holiday, so she is back Indonesia), so my Mom ask me to join Greatwall - China Education Consultant in Indonesia (http://www.study2china.com/). They help me to reserve the dormitary room, doing school registration at Beijing and guide the payment (at Beijing), help us to open bank account in China, and accompany us to go to China for the first time for the 1st weeks after we arrive at China. There's another advantage if you join this agency, you can meet with your friends first so you won't feel lonely when you arrive at China. There's a briefing 1 week before you depart to China. And because I'm at Magelang, so I join the briefing at Semarang which took 1 month before depart. And I have already met some friends when the briefing time, they are Nit, Vi, and RW.

We departed from Surabaya Juanda International Airport to Beijing by Cathay Pasific, which transit at Hongkong for lunch.

Arrived at Beijing Capital International Airport (http://en.bcia.com.cn/), there's a bus from UIBE which pick us up. There's 22 students that go with me to UIBE. We arrived at night. The journey from airport to campus was 1 hour.

I got my Beijing Phone Number using M-Zone. Greatwall help us buy it, and give it to us in the first time we arrive at Beijing.

Once we arrived at dorm 6 (6th building), Greatwall help us to pick our room. You can roomating with whoever you want, same country with you or foreigner. I requested for another Asian roomate. I got room number at 4th floor. The dorm didn't have a lift, so we have to climb the stairs to go up. But there's a help from the staff to bring our luggage upstairs. There's 6 floor in the building.

My roommate hasn't come yet, so I will be alone at my first night at Beijing. But that's better so I can adapt with the room first. Because too tired after a long day journay, I go to sleep directly that night.