it is so funny.
2 years after i have been too busy to write blog.
suddenly i changed my mind, to start writing again.
many things had changed.
way too many.
but remembering what i had done and share to world is fun anyway.
why don't do it again?
i even can't remember how to write the blog >.< when i logged here again.
05 October, 2014
20 September, 2012
Celebrating Jakarta
been working in Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia for 3 years, and still counting.., had dragged me to a love-hate relationship with the city. despite all its bad condition, there are still many things i love about Jakarta. our hope is high dear new governor.
quick count updated |
indonesia |
old-school barbershop |
i should ask my friend what "pioh tauco" is |
mooncake festival is coming! |
i want them, they look yummy :) |
ayo beresin Jakarta |
jelly shoes! |
angry birds t-shirt ftw! |
bye kumis |
08 September, 2012
Hi from Hà Nội
01 September, 2012
an escape
i love Saigon!
Tell me what comes up in your mind while you hear Vietnam?
Developing country somewhere in Asia? The War? Or an exotic country whose great
iced coffee?
Well those are the truth about Vietnam. Laid in the south
east Asia, struggled many years because of war until 1975, and now they’re
rising with the hope of their 90 millions of popullation.
Last year finally me and my friends booked tickets to
Saigon, or now known as Ho Chi Minh City. My first impression of Vietnam is
like blast to the past. The airport is quite modern in design, with not many
people in it – compared to Soekarno Hatta Airport in Jakarta. Everything seems
like in slow motion. Not when you got outside the airport. Cars and motorbikes
everywhere, they move unpredictably like buzzing bees.
Saigon, an old city with beautiful old
europe-architecture-buildings blended very well with locals tradition. People
in Vietnam likes to hang out by the street, drinking their famous
iced-milk-coffee, lemon tea, or cold beer. Accompanied by.. If it’s not snack,
then it’s hot Pho. Pho is a bowl of simple goodness. Rice vermicelli drown in a
soup and sliced medium raw beef, sprinkled with chopped celery.
Been to Saigon, and spent several days alone, strolling down
the street in district 1 and had a little shopping is quite an experience.
Though I don’t speak Tieng Viet. All transaction can be made by the help of the
super invention called calculator. I just simply pointed to things I wanna buy,
then the shopkeeper will show you how much you should pay through calculator.
Body speaks louder, just like when you travel to a place where you don’t speak
the language. If you are a photographer, or someone who really into
architecture, Saigon can be very attractive. The building, the people, the
history.
Again, living in a bubble is so fun. Ah well, been in so
many business trip, and most are spent alone had made me enjoy my time alone.
More. Traveling alone help me to find myself again, who I really am, how I
react to people, how I managed each problems, how do I make sharp decision in
tight timing. Don’t you think so?
When in Saigon I stayed in District 1 area. The district
whose much attraction to tourist. The old district, where you can find hotel
easily. If you fancy to stay in backpacker area, Pham Ngu Lao is the place.
Youth hostels and street bar are everywhere, beer is as cheap as 1 USD per jug,
iced coffee and smoothies bar just a blink away! Totally heaven for your
appetite! And if you are a girl, who intend to travel alone. I think it’s a
safe place, just don’t smile too much to strangers to avoid scam. Let travel
book or google be your guide. If you use smartphone, you can buy cheap
Vietnamese SIM card and register for its 3G connection, so you can open google
maps everywhere. I used Vinaphone there, 50.000 VND for a starter pack includes
30.000 VND credits.
My Indonesian friends often asked me, how’s the shopping
spree there in Saigon. Well, here you won’t find huge shopping malls like in
Jakarta or Singapore. But you can find some fine boutiques around Dong Koi
street, and in Balenciaga Rex Hotel complex in Nguyễn Huệ
street. I spotted Marc Jacobs, Loubutin, Burberry, and so on, also Dr
Martens. Don’t ask me about the price compared to Indonesian or Singapore
price. I totally have no idea.
If you are not keen on those branded stuffs, you just simply
go to Cho Benh Thanh, the most famous market in Saigon selling wide range
products such as: daily goods, fresh meats, veggies, fruits, flowers,
souvenirs, clothes, coffee and tea leaves. Fake ray-bans too. For Saigon
natives, this market doesn’t really reflects their market. Benh Thanh is a
touristique market, with price a bit rised than the others. But, you just cant
miss this market. If you’re patient enough to bargain, you can get good deal for
souvenirs. Or just sit down drinking your cold beer, watching people goes by.
Ah I’ve been writing too much. Next is just enjoy these Saigon pics guys..
Business Library, as written above :p |
Ho Chi Minh City Museum. it was closed already when i passed it :( |
Ho Chi Minh City Parliament Building |
sunset above Saigon, taken from Saigon Skydeck |
Saigon's pedestrian. motorcycle parking or where people hangout, or sleeping! |
all photos were taken by me, using GoPro Hero 2, during my leisure trip May, and July 2012, during my business trip.
21 May, 2012
you could be happy..
You could be happy and I won't know
But you weren't happy the day I watched you go
And all the things that I wished I had not said
Are played in loops 'till it's madness in my head
Is it too late to remind you how we were
But not our last days of silence, screaming, blur
Most of what I remember makes me sure
I should have stopped you from walking out the door
You could be happy, I hope you are
You made me happier than I'd been by far
Somehow everything I own smells of you
And for the tiniest moment it's all not true
Do the things that you always wanted to
Without me there to hold you back, don't think, just do
More than anything I want to see you, girl
Take a glorious bite out of the whole world
by SNOW PATROL.
suddenly appear in my shuffled ipod.
09 May, 2012
the power of mind
unbelievable.
because i made it. back to China, back to Shanghai, and visit Hangzhou.
magic.
so hang on on your mind.
it does have power.
03 May, 2012
stay
why don't we just dream away?
we're not real anyway...............
Why can't we just dream away?We're not real, anyway
http://musiklib.org/Float-Stupido_Ritmo-Lirik_Lagu.htm
17 April, 2012
紫禁城 - The Forbidden City
Around China for ... ^^
Around China for less than a million rupiahs
“How come? It’s impossible!” yes it is impossible, unless
you have your company sent you to China for a business trip, just like what
happened to me last week (april 4th – 11th 2012) hahaha, envy me come on.. It was
my 1st visit to China, and was a combo coz I went to Beijing,
Fuzhou, Guang Zhou, and Shanghai! Yes Shanghai! My dream one! China is mezmerising,
I never thought they are this BIG. I knew they’re growing fast, but I never
imagined like this BIG. My first impression was in their capital: Beijing, a
megapolitant city, beautiful cityscapes built from exotic skycrappers. Very
modern and edgy.
That night was 9 degrees when I arrived in Beijing, quite
torturing for a tropical-beach girl like me. I was willing to buy boots, but
seconds by seconds, I think I could handle the cold weather only with my ballerine
shoes. Taruli, my work mate in China, picked
me up at the airport, what a convenient for me. I was full, thanks to the
dinner served during my HK-Beijing flight. It was just the beginning that I was
full, the rest days in my China trip were a hunger games.. I feel hungry most
of the time! I blame the cold weather, and the delicious food they have. I
almost ate anything, except shark fin. Halal or not halal :D
Smile and hospitality are so rare here. I think China never
care about the word “service” in its life. It took me half an hour to ask
shop-assistant in Beijing to buy a cell sim card, then another 30 minutes to
top-up the credit, then next day another 45 minutes in China Mobile outlet to
turn on the GPRS, then 20 minutes in Guangzhou’s China Mobile Outlet to
re-check my GPRS connection. Pathetic.
If you visit a small restaurant, the waiter will look like
they want to dare you for a fight. But don’t worry, that’s the way they are.
Speak loud and sometimes spitting everywhere actually are the things I try so
hard to “accept” when I was in China. They way they look at me is humiliating.
I feel like an alien.. but it’s just the way they are, I don’t really care.
It felt good to be illiterate. I really
enjoy while I don’t understand what people are actually talking about, what a
calm life! Hahaha, especially when you’re already get bored with works.
Translation is amazing.
Everything’s made in China. You know industry grow bigger
and bigger here. People starts getting more money, and so they can afford
lifestyle. Chinese people are consumptive. Creditcards swiped everywhere. You
can find international brands easily, and so high-quality local brand. Real
ones, or fake ones – oh yes I am talking about fashion. Some looks very chic,
some are still typical Chinese – curled hair and tattoed eyebrows. I thought I
only saw these typical in Indonesia.
Beijing – Shanghai – Guangzhou is kinda similar,
megapolitant, 1st tier city. Everyone’s really busy, and sometimes
they don’t care each other. Apart from those 3 megacities, Fuzhou is kinda
different. I feel it’s more like Semarang – Central Java capital city. Kinda
“old”, slow, and I still see teenagers greets the elderly, and smile to each
other. But still, this 2nd
tier city can not be compared to Jakarta. It’s beautiful, clean, big roads, and
have metro. Damn. Indonesia, why are you
sleeping?
Some people asked me, why did I travel to China, leisure or
business? Yes it was a business trip, a whole week for a qualitative market research.
You know why I enjoy my work? Coz it enable me to travel and see people. Listen
to what they believe and value. Though in fact I could manage my time to visit
Forbidden City, Tianmen Square, and Lama temple in Beijing. Also The Bund,
Tianzifang, Yuyuan Garden, and Xintian Di in Shanghai. I even met my fellow Indonesian traveler,
Harry Kawanda, during his around-the-world-adventure in Shanghai.. amazing!
Trip in China is kinda hard if you don’t speak and literate
their language. Most of the sign are written in Pinyin letter, and least people
speak english. Thanks to Taruli, my work mate, who accompany me each day of my
China trip, he does speak mandarin very well. I also install Chinese Phrasebook
in my android phone, in case, just in case I am forced to talk to them. In the
airports, often the officer talk to me in mandarin, put my face into a blank
one. Also hotel front officer gave me a prank-call speaking in mandarin, in a
long sentences, and I just answer “I don’t understand”. Sometimes I got smiley
face, or a slight anger reaction from them.. hihihi..
19 March, 2012
Underwater Hockey!
Speaking of underwater hockey, the sports I’ve
been doing regularly these past 6 months, will always contains of joy and
excitement. Basically I do love watersports, especially swimming. My late dad
was a swimming athlete, he trained me since I was a kid, though I always
refused to join a swimming club, but I really enjoy being in the water. Later on, swimming was the only sport I do,
appart from basic basketball or bicycling –these two sports had been abandoned
since I went to college. I moved to Jakarta for work, one day I went to an
island trip and meet Nino. Nino is the guy who’s responsible because he dragged
me into freediving and this weird sport: underwater hockey.
this is how you would look like |
The player will have to wear swimsuit, gloves
to protect the playing hand, polo cap to protect the ears, mask, snorkel to
help them breathe, and fins to help swimming faster. Simple? Yes it is. Then after
you are ready with your gear, time to hit the pool. The game is played by 2
teams (usually black versus white), black team will wear black polo cap and
black stick, likewise the white team. Each team consist of up to 10 players, 6
player and up to 4 substitutes. The six player will divided as forward (left –
center – right) and backward (left – center – right). The objective of this
game is just like land hockey, dribble the puck into a goal. It’s easy!
*wait actually it is not that easy! Because we have to hold our breath underwater! The game is in the bottom of the pool, you have to go down! No scuba and oxygen tank like divers do, because those apparatus will complicated your life, well I mean you wont be able to move agily with those stuff, so forget it.
Holding breath, but also swimming fast, you
wonder where the fun is? I love it when I duck dive until I touch the bottom of
the pool.. when I rush into the puck..blocking an attack, passing to my team
mates, going up for a little oxygen, then go down again.. and little bubbles
burst in front of your mask... Adrenaline is calling J.
Ok I know, it seems not that easy, but it’s also no that hard. Even me, a lazy
girl who don’t do much sport can do this. The excitement is …ME GUSTA! Also, women
are still rarities creature in our club. Only 5-10 active member now, we still
approaching our dream to have Indonesian 1st female underwater
hockey team.
So you might questioning again, if we have no
women team, then whom I play underwater hockey with? Again it’s easy question, I
play with the rest of the member, who are….MALE! yay, another me gusta? No!
they are stronger and faster.. it took me like forever competing with them
until I can finally posses a puck. I’m still passing frustrating practice days,
low days, when I thought I will not make it through the game. But, remember, it
is a teamwork sports. Your contribution is worth, no matter how small it is, no
matter is someone recognize it or not.
At the 1st time, I remember, I felt
soooo lazy to go down, I didn’t want to get hit by my opponent because I know I
was less fast, less powerful than them. My team mate said to me “Don’t be lazy,
don’t be useless, just go down and head off opponent. You will simply block
their way, and they will lose momentum, your team mates will back you up to
chase the puck”. Then I did, and I saw the other can approach the opponent
easier, because I made our opponent slower down their speed. I really did
nothing, I just head them off. Really. But I knew I contribute, and my team
mates back me up, oh really touching wasn’t it? *.*
Off course I don’t want to be a statue in the
bottom. I (try to) work hard, sometimes take extra practice in the weekend to
gain better performance and skill.. watching coaching videos, I am still
fighting until now (conditions apply, LOL), but I know I slightly get better,
but still not good enough *hahahaha poor you little girl! I am not ambitious to
be a professional athletes, no. I just do it for fun, but I wanna play it the
right way.
If you are in Jakarta, and curious about
it, simply come to Krida Loka (Senayan) Swimming Pool every Monday and Thursday
evening. We start practicing at 7 pm. Jakarta Underwater Hockey is a fun club,
fun people, err no, they are family, they are so nice with newbies so don’t worry
J
you can ask for twice-free-trial before you really decide to join the club or
not. Got more question? Post to me, or do the social media magic in Facebook or Twitter.. see you at the bottom of the pool!
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