Hey, apa kabar nih? Lagi di mana?
Ada dech........
Gak tau, tapi gua tuh paling gondok and bete kalo ada orang ditanya baek2, eeehhh malah jawabnya "ada dech"..
Mungkin maksudnya becanda, tapi sumpeh, becandanya gak lucu, garing dan gak mutu.......
Buat gua "ada dech" itu sama kayak jawab "why do you care?" or "why do you want to know?"
identik......
istilah jaman sekarang, bikin ill feel (or ilfil?)
better jawab,"i can't answer now" or gak usah jawab aja sekalian....
anyway, itu sekelumit kebetean terakhir...
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Sunday Evening Sickness
Aduh...
Minggu malam jam 23.30..
Gak kepengen senen, lagi males kerja..
So bete...
Bolos? Haiya tak bisa.......
Minggu malam jam 23.30..
Gak kepengen senen, lagi males kerja..
So bete...
Bolos? Haiya tak bisa.......
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Berbagi Suami
JIFFEST 2006.
Di tengah2 hiruk pikuk isu poligami yang lagi hangat di tanah air, Berbagi Suami yang discreening hari ini (gratis), menyentil dengan sangat telak dengan caranya bertutur...
Di beberapa kali film disinggung, "daripada zinah, dilarang agama dan berdosa, mendingan menikah lagi". Lagi-lagi justifikasi sekaligus gambaran umum pola pikir sebagian besar masyarakat saat ini. Sindirannya top banget....
Tapi yang jelas, film ini memang bagus! Menyindir dengan tajam, tapi menghibur. Yang menonton juga banyak yang tertawa. Well, mungkin ada juga yang tersindir, tapi kayaknya mereka tidak mengeluarkan suara apa-apa selama pertunjukkan berlangsung hahahahha..
Jajang C Noer dengan aktingnya juga memukau banget. Ekspresinya kaku banget, tapi menunjukkan banget bahwa kekakuan itu adlah akibat dia mencoba untuk tegar, tabah ("kuat karena bersandar pada nilai-nilai agamanya"), tapi rapuh dan tetap seorang wanita didalam. Diperkuat juga dengan narasi-narasinya..
Kayaknya sih gak perlu diceritain jalan ceritanya karena pasti di koran, majalah banyak banget diulas. Belom lagi ada kemungkinan bakalan menjadi salah satu film yang masuk nominasi Oscar untuk kategori film berbahasa asing.
Nah, yang berkesan banget buat gua adalah bagaimana si sutradara menggambarkan jalinan 3 cerita itu yang sebenarnya gak berhubungan.
Gua jadi terpekur, sebenarnya kita kontak, interaksi banyak sekali ama orang-orang disekitar kita, langsung maupun tidak langsung. Dari yang kita kenal baik sampai a complete stranger.
Tukang sapu jalan yang tiap hari gua temui waktu jalan kaki ke gym, tukang buka pintu di hotel, resepsionis, tukang taxi... Sadar atau tidak sadar, interaksi dengan orang itu akan merubah hidup kita masing-masing, at least cara pikir kita..
Dunia ini memang sebuah system yang kompleks banget.
Ribet euy..
Di tengah2 hiruk pikuk isu poligami yang lagi hangat di tanah air, Berbagi Suami yang discreening hari ini (gratis), menyentil dengan sangat telak dengan caranya bertutur...
Di beberapa kali film disinggung, "daripada zinah, dilarang agama dan berdosa, mendingan menikah lagi". Lagi-lagi justifikasi sekaligus gambaran umum pola pikir sebagian besar masyarakat saat ini. Sindirannya top banget....
Tapi yang jelas, film ini memang bagus! Menyindir dengan tajam, tapi menghibur. Yang menonton juga banyak yang tertawa. Well, mungkin ada juga yang tersindir, tapi kayaknya mereka tidak mengeluarkan suara apa-apa selama pertunjukkan berlangsung hahahahha..
Jajang C Noer dengan aktingnya juga memukau banget. Ekspresinya kaku banget, tapi menunjukkan banget bahwa kekakuan itu adlah akibat dia mencoba untuk tegar, tabah ("kuat karena bersandar pada nilai-nilai agamanya"), tapi rapuh dan tetap seorang wanita didalam. Diperkuat juga dengan narasi-narasinya..
Kayaknya sih gak perlu diceritain jalan ceritanya karena pasti di koran, majalah banyak banget diulas. Belom lagi ada kemungkinan bakalan menjadi salah satu film yang masuk nominasi Oscar untuk kategori film berbahasa asing.
Nah, yang berkesan banget buat gua adalah bagaimana si sutradara menggambarkan jalinan 3 cerita itu yang sebenarnya gak berhubungan.
Gua jadi terpekur, sebenarnya kita kontak, interaksi banyak sekali ama orang-orang disekitar kita, langsung maupun tidak langsung. Dari yang kita kenal baik sampai a complete stranger.
Tukang sapu jalan yang tiap hari gua temui waktu jalan kaki ke gym, tukang buka pintu di hotel, resepsionis, tukang taxi... Sadar atau tidak sadar, interaksi dengan orang itu akan merubah hidup kita masing-masing, at least cara pikir kita..
Dunia ini memang sebuah system yang kompleks banget.
Ribet euy..
Saturday, December 09, 2006
Please look at the link...
Buat semua orang yang mau menjadi ayah, sudah jadi ayah, kehilangan ayah, dan lain sebagainya....
http://www.cjcphoto.com/can/
http://www.cjcphoto.com/can/
Friday, December 08, 2006
Mozart: Great Mass in C minor
Indonesia harus bersyukur dan berterimakasih juga bahwa ditengah belantara musik klasik dengan orkestra-orkestra karbitannya, masih ada Capella Amadeus (Grace Sudargo).
Dengan idealismenya memang membuktikan ini orkes kamar yang bagus, punya karakter dan kemampuan, gak cuma orkes dengan anggota yang jadi anggota sekaligus 3-5 orkes lain (dengan alasan perut)..
Hari ini gue pergi nonton Konser the Great Mass in Cminor-nya Mozart. Dikenal sebagai salah satu dari 3 karya misa yang paling sempurna di dunia permusik-klasikan (selain Missa Solemnis-nya Beethoven dan Messe h-moll-nya Bach), tingkat kesulitannya gak kira-kira...
Dibuka dengan 2 piece dari Exsultate Jubilate (ditutup dengan c3 bagian alleluja), lalu 3 quartet piece dari Requiemnya Mozart. Kesan gue: Benedictusnya ngebut...!!
Anyway, Capella Amadeus top banget!! Bau mozartnya keluar banget dari setiap gesekan biolanya dan tercium di mana-mana....
Sejujurnya, belom pernah denger orkes (kamar ataupun simphony) di Indonesia yang bisa main seperti itu.. jangan dibandingin ama nusantara chamber, Twilight, apalagi orkes kamar pimpinan avip priatna. Avip priatnanya sih ok, tapi orkesnya maap aja deh...
Anyway, gak usah jelek2in orang deh heheehe.. Lumayan puas nonton konser malam ini, walaupun cuma sendirian hehehhe...
Dengan idealismenya memang membuktikan ini orkes kamar yang bagus, punya karakter dan kemampuan, gak cuma orkes dengan anggota yang jadi anggota sekaligus 3-5 orkes lain (dengan alasan perut)..
Hari ini gue pergi nonton Konser the Great Mass in Cminor-nya Mozart. Dikenal sebagai salah satu dari 3 karya misa yang paling sempurna di dunia permusik-klasikan (selain Missa Solemnis-nya Beethoven dan Messe h-moll-nya Bach), tingkat kesulitannya gak kira-kira...
Dibuka dengan 2 piece dari Exsultate Jubilate (ditutup dengan c3 bagian alleluja), lalu 3 quartet piece dari Requiemnya Mozart. Kesan gue: Benedictusnya ngebut...!!
Anyway, Capella Amadeus top banget!! Bau mozartnya keluar banget dari setiap gesekan biolanya dan tercium di mana-mana....
Sejujurnya, belom pernah denger orkes (kamar ataupun simphony) di Indonesia yang bisa main seperti itu.. jangan dibandingin ama nusantara chamber, Twilight, apalagi orkes kamar pimpinan avip priatna. Avip priatnanya sih ok, tapi orkesnya maap aja deh...
Anyway, gak usah jelek2in orang deh heheehe.. Lumayan puas nonton konser malam ini, walaupun cuma sendirian hehehhe...
Thursday, December 07, 2006
Comro and Misro
Baru tau dalam 30 tahun sejarah hidup gua bahwa nama sebenarnya adalah COMRO bukan comBro..!!!
Comro = Oncom di jero (oncom = yah oncom; di jero = di dalam)
Misro = Amis di jero (amis = manis; di jero = di dalam juga) .....
Comro = Oncom di jero (oncom = yah oncom; di jero = di dalam)
Misro = Amis di jero (amis = manis; di jero = di dalam juga) .....
Infotainment kurang bahan...
Acara infotainment di TV Indonesia adalah salah satu acara dengan rating dan frekwensi yang cukup tinggi. Bayangin aja, satu hari bisa satu stasiun TV nayangin 3 acara infotainment! Konsekuensi langsung dari tingginya frekwensi adalah kebutuhan akan informasi dan bahan berita yang tinggi juga dong.
Mungkin saking kurang bahannya, acara Cek&Ricek hari rabu kemarin menayangkan di salah satu spot acara "gosipnya" seorang artis sinetron belia yang lagi shopping di orchard, singapore.. Sebenarnya sih acara film yang diliput, tapi kayaknya porsi ngikutin si artis masuk shopping mal dan shoppingnya mendapat porsi yang banyak.. Artisnya pas diwawancara juga bukannya mendapat pertanyaan tentang acara perfilman Asean atau Asia gitu tapi malah ngomong, "iya, ini aku sempet2in shopping beli barang-barang bla bla bla.. " kesannya panic shopper..
Kapan yah bangsa ini bisa tambah pinter kalo acaranya bener-bener gak mutu dan gak berniat mendidik?
Monday, December 04, 2006
Sunday, December 03, 2006
Tadi nemenin bokap ke kondangan salah satu baek dia waktu dia kecil dulu di kampung yang ngawinin anaknya..
Sebenarnya males banget, tapi berhubung gak ada orang yang bisa, gua lah jadinya dikorbankan. Kesel banget juga karena gara-gara ini gua harus batalin janji yang sebenarnya udah gua tunggu-tunggu.. Tapi yah sudahlah, nasib..
Resepsi kawinannya, well, seperti kecenderungan 90% populasi perantauan dari sambas-pemangkat, diadain di restoran Angke, saudara-saudara.
Lengkap dengan tante-tante ngegosip pake bahasa khek, om-om ngerokok brenti, anak kecil lari-lari teriak-teriak. Gak ketinggalan background musiknya, om-om nyanyi lagu cina tahun 70an, thien mi mi dan sekitarnya...
Pengantennya gak bisa lain kecuali mematung dan salaman ama semua tamu yang lewat. Kasian sih sebenarnya kawinan kayak gitu..
Jadi inget chat beberpa waktu lalu ama alex tentang kawinan. kalo nanti kawin (kalo memang kawin), seru banget kalo resepsi/pestanya diadain di uluwatu, tempat glenn pesta itu kemarin.. Modal gede banget, jadi yah memang cuma mimpi aja
hahhahaha
Karena kelaperan abis fitnes, begitu sampe gua langsung makan aja.
Sebenarnya makanan di restoran Angke itu enak. Asal jangan makannya di menu buffet resepsi orang cina kalimantan kawin aja: soun goreng, ikan asam manis, ayam goreng kering, baso ikan kuah, ama rujak. Gak ketinggalan kerupuk hahahhahaha
Males banget ke resepsi kawinan karena semua sodara dengan semangatnya akan bertanya, "hiong, kapan nih gilirannya?? adeknya udah semua tuh, udah punya anak lagi, mau nunggu ampe kapan?"
malez...
Kenapa sih mereka gak ngurusin hidup mereka sendiri yang belom tentu lebih beres dari hidup gua?
hhhh menghela napas saja...
Sebenarnya males banget, tapi berhubung gak ada orang yang bisa, gua lah jadinya dikorbankan. Kesel banget juga karena gara-gara ini gua harus batalin janji yang sebenarnya udah gua tunggu-tunggu.. Tapi yah sudahlah, nasib..
Resepsi kawinannya, well, seperti kecenderungan 90% populasi perantauan dari sambas-pemangkat, diadain di restoran Angke, saudara-saudara.
Lengkap dengan tante-tante ngegosip pake bahasa khek, om-om ngerokok brenti, anak kecil lari-lari teriak-teriak. Gak ketinggalan background musiknya, om-om nyanyi lagu cina tahun 70an, thien mi mi dan sekitarnya...
Pengantennya gak bisa lain kecuali mematung dan salaman ama semua tamu yang lewat. Kasian sih sebenarnya kawinan kayak gitu..
Jadi inget chat beberpa waktu lalu ama alex tentang kawinan. kalo nanti kawin (kalo memang kawin), seru banget kalo resepsi/pestanya diadain di uluwatu, tempat glenn pesta itu kemarin.. Modal gede banget, jadi yah memang cuma mimpi aja
hahhahaha
Karena kelaperan abis fitnes, begitu sampe gua langsung makan aja.
Sebenarnya makanan di restoran Angke itu enak. Asal jangan makannya di menu buffet resepsi orang cina kalimantan kawin aja: soun goreng, ikan asam manis, ayam goreng kering, baso ikan kuah, ama rujak. Gak ketinggalan kerupuk hahahhahaha
Males banget ke resepsi kawinan karena semua sodara dengan semangatnya akan bertanya, "hiong, kapan nih gilirannya?? adeknya udah semua tuh, udah punya anak lagi, mau nunggu ampe kapan?"
malez...
Kenapa sih mereka gak ngurusin hidup mereka sendiri yang belom tentu lebih beres dari hidup gua?
hhhh menghela napas saja...
Friday, November 24, 2006
Addicted
Almost one month since I came back from my trip.
Sekarang, udah kepengen jalan-jalan lagi....
Emak gua aja bilang, gua gila..
menurut gue: gua cuma ketagihan hahahahah
Tahun depan, kalo jadi sih kepengen ke NZ nengok si nope;
Terus, planned: Backpacking trip lagi ke Sumbawa and Flores, barang 10 hari - 2 minggu gitu..
Kebetulan tahun depan juga mau keluar LP-Indonesia, edisi januari 2007. Mungkin gua bakal beli juga buat panduan.....
Sekarang, udah kepengen jalan-jalan lagi....
Emak gua aja bilang, gua gila..
menurut gue: gua cuma ketagihan hahahahah
Tahun depan, kalo jadi sih kepengen ke NZ nengok si nope;
Terus, planned: Backpacking trip lagi ke Sumbawa and Flores, barang 10 hari - 2 minggu gitu..
Kebetulan tahun depan juga mau keluar LP-Indonesia, edisi januari 2007. Mungkin gua bakal beli juga buat panduan.....
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
What the hell?
Does Hell, as a place where people have sinned are tortured for the whole eternity, really exist?
Actually my doubt does not really started only now, but after my conversation with debbie tonight, hmm actually she said something very interesting. Average age of life is around 60-65 years old, and for the first 5 years we did not really understand the concept of sin, so we could hardly be called "to have comitted sin" during that period. 60 years left. Of course we can not sin for those whole 60 years.. Let's call for a 50% of those period, we have sinned. Of course we must have done many good things too, right? another 50%? OK, it's 15 years of sins accumulated.
So, for that 15 years of sins, we have to spend the whole eternity in punishment, tortured, burnt.. Does it make sense???
OK, some religions would say, it would, may not be logical, but hey, you can't confront faith with logical..
**Yeah, right**
But what happened to the full of love God? Is he transforming into a strict, mathematical based judge? That's why he's called just? Rome catholic church would then say that it's the mystery of God, and our mind is just too limited to be able to reach even 1% of God wisdoms.
Honestly, I don't really believe that hell does exist.
All the concept of Hell, FROM ALL RELIGIONS, is a place of PHYSICAL torture, well bad news, for eternity. But it's all physical. And sensations of pain is somehow controlled by the brain. If we're dead, our souls will be tortured, but it's always physical. You got burnt, cut your tongue off when you talked bad too much about other people, cut your hands off if you stole, etc etc etc. However, what is worse than emotional torture? The feeling of lost, of despair, of everything bad. Everything we have gone through....
What is more hell than this our own world where we're living now?
We are born like a white blank paper, but we die like a full novel.... When we die, we bring all our values, believes, our thoughts with our soul.. They don't just vanish and disappear..
I have read some stories about people having a short journey after life before they were brought back to life.
Moslems would say that they saw all the things they believe as their faith, they see big arabic characters of Allah, a man that you couldn't see the face;
Christians would say that they saw Jesus. Catholics have more immagination, they also see, other than Jesus, Mary, St. Peter, the angels, etc.;
Buddhists would say that they saw the Buddha himself;
Taoist saw the Judge Bao, and before that, the guards in black and white robe with long tongue.
Which one is true?
All are.
Because it's what they believe to be true when they are alive. When one dies that's what he would see.
If I dont believe in any, what would I see when I die????
Actually my doubt does not really started only now, but after my conversation with debbie tonight, hmm actually she said something very interesting. Average age of life is around 60-65 years old, and for the first 5 years we did not really understand the concept of sin, so we could hardly be called "to have comitted sin" during that period. 60 years left. Of course we can not sin for those whole 60 years.. Let's call for a 50% of those period, we have sinned. Of course we must have done many good things too, right? another 50%? OK, it's 15 years of sins accumulated.
So, for that 15 years of sins, we have to spend the whole eternity in punishment, tortured, burnt.. Does it make sense???
OK, some religions would say, it would, may not be logical, but hey, you can't confront faith with logical..
**Yeah, right**
But what happened to the full of love God? Is he transforming into a strict, mathematical based judge? That's why he's called just? Rome catholic church would then say that it's the mystery of God, and our mind is just too limited to be able to reach even 1% of God wisdoms.
Honestly, I don't really believe that hell does exist.
All the concept of Hell, FROM ALL RELIGIONS, is a place of PHYSICAL torture, well bad news, for eternity. But it's all physical. And sensations of pain is somehow controlled by the brain. If we're dead, our souls will be tortured, but it's always physical. You got burnt, cut your tongue off when you talked bad too much about other people, cut your hands off if you stole, etc etc etc. However, what is worse than emotional torture? The feeling of lost, of despair, of everything bad. Everything we have gone through....
What is more hell than this our own world where we're living now?
We are born like a white blank paper, but we die like a full novel.... When we die, we bring all our values, believes, our thoughts with our soul.. They don't just vanish and disappear..
I have read some stories about people having a short journey after life before they were brought back to life.
Moslems would say that they saw all the things they believe as their faith, they see big arabic characters of Allah, a man that you couldn't see the face;
Christians would say that they saw Jesus. Catholics have more immagination, they also see, other than Jesus, Mary, St. Peter, the angels, etc.;
Buddhists would say that they saw the Buddha himself;
Taoist saw the Judge Bao, and before that, the guards in black and white robe with long tongue.
Which one is true?
All are.
Because it's what they believe to be true when they are alive. When one dies that's what he would see.
If I dont believe in any, what would I see when I die????
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Upset stomach
Udah 2 hari gak masuk kantor gara2 ke belakang terus dari hari jumat subuh...
gak tau sih sebabnya kenapa... Apa karena salmon sashimi yang gua makan hari kamis kemarin ama ijoy di sushi tei? Biasanya sih enggak apa-apa...
Anyway jumat sempet masuk kantor setengah hari karena ada 1 paspor yang udah utang sama orang.. kalo gak masuk, kagak ada yang bisa diandalkan, sedangkan orangnya harus terima itu paspor secepatya (kalau gak, bakalan kena overstay)..
Terus pulang, tidur seharian (badan udah panas),.. sabtu udah mendingan, minggu mendingan juga dikit (siangnya ada kawinan christian), tapi malamnya, tengah malam kumat lagi... gawwat deh
Besok masuk kerja lagi deh setelah istirahat 2 hari...
gak tau sih sebabnya kenapa... Apa karena salmon sashimi yang gua makan hari kamis kemarin ama ijoy di sushi tei? Biasanya sih enggak apa-apa...
Anyway jumat sempet masuk kantor setengah hari karena ada 1 paspor yang udah utang sama orang.. kalo gak masuk, kagak ada yang bisa diandalkan, sedangkan orangnya harus terima itu paspor secepatya (kalau gak, bakalan kena overstay)..
Terus pulang, tidur seharian (badan udah panas),.. sabtu udah mendingan, minggu mendingan juga dikit (siangnya ada kawinan christian), tapi malamnya, tengah malam kumat lagi... gawwat deh
Besok masuk kerja lagi deh setelah istirahat 2 hari...
Sunday, November 05, 2006
Il Minciarelli
Semalem ada acara di hotel Mulia yang ngadain Uff. Militare di Kedutaan. Jam 7 lewat gua nyampe and langsung shock begitu selesai salaman say hi ama si komandan... Pasti muka gua jg bengong bego gitu deh. Di depan gua ada Professor Minciarelli ama istrinya, Prof.ssa Moretti lagi berbincang2 ama duta... Gua cuma bisa bilang sambil shock, "non ci credo, non ci credo...."
Terus duta memperkenalkan gua and well, gua terus terang gak tau and gak ngikutin dia ngomong apa lagi soalnya gua blank... Mungkin duta mikir, "sial gua dicuekin", tapi emang bener2 gua shocked..........
Anyway si Prof ini dulu dosen gua selama 6 bulan waktu level 5 di perugia. Sekarang sih udah pensiun sejak tahun lalu..
Berkesan banget ini si professor karena emang asli jago banget ngajarnya. Pendekatan dia ke murid-muridnya juga asik, gak terlalu serius, santai tapi apa yang mau dia sampaikan bener-bener sampai ke murid-muridnya.
Yang paling top dari dia itu adalah cara dia bacain teks cerita. Kan dia sering ambil teks dari novel mana gitu sesukanya dia, terus ambil paling 3 paragraf buat dianalisa. Sebelum kita mulai analisanya, pasti dia bacain dulu dan di saat dia baca itulah, setiap kali, kita seperti tersihir oleh gaya berceritanya dia dan masuk ke dalam secuplik teks yang dia baca itu....
Sepertinya kita, murid-muridnya selalu menunggu-nunggu saat dia baca cerita....
Lovely...
Sebaliknya dengan istrinya, Prof.ssa Moretti yang ngajar Letteratura.. huhuhuhuh susah.
Mungkin cara pembawaannya kali yah..? Gua tau dia bawain bahan dengan penuh entusiasme, semangat dan kecintaan terhadap materi, tapi emang gua yang ndablek terhadap letteratura.. gak berminat.
The weakness of Indonesian education system?
Mungkin.....
Terus duta memperkenalkan gua and well, gua terus terang gak tau and gak ngikutin dia ngomong apa lagi soalnya gua blank... Mungkin duta mikir, "sial gua dicuekin", tapi emang bener2 gua shocked..........
Anyway si Prof ini dulu dosen gua selama 6 bulan waktu level 5 di perugia. Sekarang sih udah pensiun sejak tahun lalu..
Berkesan banget ini si professor karena emang asli jago banget ngajarnya. Pendekatan dia ke murid-muridnya juga asik, gak terlalu serius, santai tapi apa yang mau dia sampaikan bener-bener sampai ke murid-muridnya.
Yang paling top dari dia itu adalah cara dia bacain teks cerita. Kan dia sering ambil teks dari novel mana gitu sesukanya dia, terus ambil paling 3 paragraf buat dianalisa. Sebelum kita mulai analisanya, pasti dia bacain dulu dan di saat dia baca itulah, setiap kali, kita seperti tersihir oleh gaya berceritanya dia dan masuk ke dalam secuplik teks yang dia baca itu....
Sepertinya kita, murid-muridnya selalu menunggu-nunggu saat dia baca cerita....
Lovely...
Sebaliknya dengan istrinya, Prof.ssa Moretti yang ngajar Letteratura.. huhuhuhuh susah.
Mungkin cara pembawaannya kali yah..? Gua tau dia bawain bahan dengan penuh entusiasme, semangat dan kecintaan terhadap materi, tapi emang gua yang ndablek terhadap letteratura.. gak berminat.
The weakness of Indonesian education system?
Mungkin.....
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Back home
Three days in Singapore now. Arrived on the 27 from Bangkok where I stayed only one night in a little cheap hotel in Khao San area (450baht for single room with A/C and hot shower). I wanted to go to chinatown but all taxi that I asked didn't want to .. traffic they said. So, I opted for a better, faster, and lot cheaper way: boat...
Arrived in chinatown, it was surely trafficked! Found out later that they were holding a buddhist ceremony with dragon, barongsai and parade of people with incense..
After that I went to had some massage for my feet after the trekking in chiang mai. It was ok, but I think somehow in indonesia we have also good and better massage..
The Gallery Hotel (www.galleryhotel.com.sg) is a really nice hotel, but unfortunately quite a problem with public transport.. Nevertheless, I enjoyed my stay here. I was thinking of spoiling myself at the end of trip before heading home and I really have :)
Met up with Kwang, Lawrence and the gang (which I had met in Bangkok) and going out with some friends of them. Well, I did some shopping also in Orchard, and I was really surprised hearing more people speaking indonesian than sing-lish... A salesgirl in the giordano told me that sometimes some Indonesian bought like a hundred (hyperbolic maybe??) t-shirt and re-sell them in Indonesia....
Arrived in chinatown, it was surely trafficked! Found out later that they were holding a buddhist ceremony with dragon, barongsai and parade of people with incense..
After that I went to had some massage for my feet after the trekking in chiang mai. It was ok, but I think somehow in indonesia we have also good and better massage..
The Gallery Hotel (www.galleryhotel.com.sg) is a really nice hotel, but unfortunately quite a problem with public transport.. Nevertheless, I enjoyed my stay here. I was thinking of spoiling myself at the end of trip before heading home and I really have :)
Met up with Kwang, Lawrence and the gang (which I had met in Bangkok) and going out with some friends of them. Well, I did some shopping also in Orchard, and I was really surprised hearing more people speaking indonesian than sing-lish... A salesgirl in the giordano told me that sometimes some Indonesian bought like a hundred (hyperbolic maybe??) t-shirt and re-sell them in Indonesia....
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Trekking again!
I started my trip with a day trip in Luang Prabang which was a really enjoyable and good one. At the end of my trip, I signed up for another trip to the northern Thailand too and it was not a bad one either. It's a two-days trip with sleeping in a tribe village.There were 7 people on this trip (not 4 like the first one), me, two american ladies and 4 french. Before going to the track, we stopped by a market in case someone need something. I bought a bag of steamed peanuts and some boiled sweet potatoes (ubi rebus) and continued to the elephant ride :-). There were actually a lot of them, and two of us would take one elephant for the ride. It was great! My elephant's called "noi" and she was a young elephant, full of powers and liked to speed up :-) so we would actually pass other elephants who were slow. Noi actually finished the peanut and I bought also 20baht of banana and gave them to her. At first I thought that it'd be such a pity for them having us on her back. But at the end I think she (they) actually enjoyed it.. Well, no confirmation provided for that :-)
Anyway, we then went to a short lunch (fried rice) and started the trek.. It was quite long actually, around 2 hours before we arrived at the waterfall. BIG ONE!.. the water was really cold and the current was strong.. we didn't do much of swimming though we would've loved to, and we just hung around a big rock where we could have a grip.. The current was just too strong and dangerous. After that, another 1.5 hours trek and we arrived at the Karen Village. The trip itself was a really good one, with all walking in the middle of the jungle, fresh air..It was already a bit dark (around 6pm) and so we arranged our things, and just resting there. After a while, they served the dinner (rice, vegetables, potates with chicken in coconut milk, and cucumber soup) and it was really good considering all the trek we have done today.
Later on, the guide (we had two, Nu who walked in front of us and eddy-behind), Nu offered a card games while bringing along a bottle of chiang mai rice wines. hmmm...
Well, in short, I ended up being the one who lost the most, and got a little bit drunk and face covered with black ashes hahahha..
But it was so enjoyable and we continued to chat a bit in front of the fire with sky filled with stars. Lots lots lots of them. Haven't seen so many stars in quite a long time... It was quite a funny conversation though, Gioelle was talking to barbara in french as she didn't speak english and barbara would laugh a bit and at the end said, "Ooh, I wish I could understand you.."
But Silver and Ellen (the girlfriend), and giolle's sister, Christine, spoke english. They even taught me a bit of french, which was cool!..
Spending the night (surprisingly without mosquito!) altogether in a 1 room wooden house with no electricity, only mosquito net and a blanket. I couldn't really sleep well actually, not because that it's a bad place to sleep but because it was TOO cold!.. I had my body covered with 2 blankets but my nose was freezing........
I woke up in the morning at 6.45. Tina was already awoke and we just waited there until they served the breakfast at 8.30. We just didn't know what to do! hahahahhaha....
At 9.30 we hit the road once again and this time we're heading for the better waterfall in which we could swim. Stopped by a school where we played a bit of sepak takraw (my first!) and at around 11 o'clock we arrived.. Such a nice place! Water is cool of course, but calm and not deep and we actually had a natural water massage under the waterfall!! NICE!!!!!...To make it short, we then took another trekking. This time was harder as we were all hungry!!! Made it finally at the end and had a pad-thai for lunch. Not very nice..
Then there we went to the 1 hour bambo rafting on the river. Can't describe how fun it was!.....
At night we also promised to meet up to have some dinner and we took the opportunity to taste the Chiang Mai's signature dish: Khuay Soi. It's a egg-noodle with chicken in curry. When I arrived actually I had also a taste of the same noodle but from different food stall, and this one that I had tonight was just divine, a real treat, 25baht.Tomorrow I'm heading to Bangkok, spending one night and the day after, to Singapore!
Holiday is ending...!
Monday, October 23, 2006
Chiang Mai - Thailand
In Chiang Mai now, arriving this afternoon at 2.30 with flight Thai Airways from Bangkok. Having spent one night in bangkok resting after the 10 hours disastrous trip from Siem Reap to the border with Thai, this morning I felt already a bit freshened up. Actually I didnt have a place to sleep yet but Lawrence (a friend from Singapore) was happened to be in bangkok with his friends and he said I can share one room with one of his friends (he already had a friend with him).
The road trip from Siem Reap was really a unforgettable one.. The trip would take approximately 2.5 hours normally but last time we did it in 5 hours due to the heavy flooding along the way... We saw trucks (big, heavy trucks) in the middle of the road with the whole rear wheel hopelessly stucked in the mud.. there were around 7-8 points where the road was flooded. The taxi that we took from Siem Reap didn't want to risk the trip and had us boarded a kind of small tractor (which turned out to be the best way to go through the mud. The driver was going with us too until we met his counterparts that would eventually take us to the Poiphet border. This explains why we had to pay US$60 for the taxi, we had had to use 2!...
Anyway, is good in Chiang Mai. Nice, cool air with not too much traffic. I stayed in the Lanna Thai Guesthouse (280baht, room with fan) with 1 minute walk to the infamous night bazaar.. Things are said to be cheaper in chiang mai than bangkok, so I think I would check some things out... The food is also nice.
One thing that surprised me is the large tio ciu community in chiang mai. In the food market (open air) I heard sellers talking to the customers in tio ciu. Not one of them either..
Tomorrow I'm going trekking to the mountains for 2 days and I'll spend one night in a hilltribe village. It's 1500 Baht (not a bad deal)...
The road trip from Siem Reap was really a unforgettable one.. The trip would take approximately 2.5 hours normally but last time we did it in 5 hours due to the heavy flooding along the way... We saw trucks (big, heavy trucks) in the middle of the road with the whole rear wheel hopelessly stucked in the mud.. there were around 7-8 points where the road was flooded. The taxi that we took from Siem Reap didn't want to risk the trip and had us boarded a kind of small tractor (which turned out to be the best way to go through the mud. The driver was going with us too until we met his counterparts that would eventually take us to the Poiphet border. This explains why we had to pay US$60 for the taxi, we had had to use 2!...Anyway, is good in Chiang Mai. Nice, cool air with not too much traffic. I stayed in the Lanna Thai Guesthouse (280baht, room with fan) with 1 minute walk to the infamous night bazaar.. Things are said to be cheaper in chiang mai than bangkok, so I think I would check some things out... The food is also nice.
One thing that surprised me is the large tio ciu community in chiang mai. In the food market (open air) I heard sellers talking to the customers in tio ciu. Not one of them either..
Tomorrow I'm going trekking to the mountains for 2 days and I'll spend one night in a hilltribe village. It's 1500 Baht (not a bad deal)...
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Morally Low
It's the third week on my trip, and during this trip never I feel so morally low than now. I don't know exactly why but maybe one of the cause is that I've been "running" in the last week, starting from Saigon all the way here to Siem Reap and that's really tiring...
Moreover, I'm feeling like not having much to do here or to see. Well, yes there's the Angkor Temples but it's nothing new actually for Indonesian. Not only Indonesians, but this morning I met a couple who's living in Indonesia (one is belgium in yogya for years, and another one norwegian in aceh) and we shared the same feeling hahahha ...
They said, "hmm another borobudur?".. But apart from the temple, actually cambodian is really really similar to indonesia.. The people, the landscape, the surroundings, and (somehow) the food, etc which is maybe why I feel kind of bored..It's kinda funny though that I hardly meet ANY indonesian during my trip and here in cambodia I actually meet two foreigners who's living in Indonesian and we were talking in Indonesian.
I've tried ice cream, eating in a nice place to "cure" my tiredness, but only temporarily worked..
Tomorrow morning I'm leaving to Bangkok, already booked the taxi. It's just crazy, because normally taxi to the border cost somewhere like US$35, and this time it's US$60!... The hotel found one taxi and one passenger so I could share it, US$30 each. From the border I could take the bus (1st class which is faster) to the bus station in bangkok, total would cost me like US$50..
Actually there's a flight from Phnom Penh to Bangkok, but it's a morning flight (8 a.m.) and I dont think I want to spend one more night in Phnom Penh again, plus with it's around US$60 for the ticket and another 25 for the airport tax..
Anyway the plan for tonight is to go see the Dr. Beatocello performing free concert of Bach's cello pieces and his own composition. It's free but any donation received will go to the children's hospital here in Siem Reap.
Cambodia is expensive my friend, more expensive than I thought... Vietnam or Laos is much cheaper. Even bangkok..
Looking forward in thailand. Hope Chiang Mai would somehow "cure" me...
Moreover, I'm feeling like not having much to do here or to see. Well, yes there's the Angkor Temples but it's nothing new actually for Indonesian. Not only Indonesians, but this morning I met a couple who's living in Indonesia (one is belgium in yogya for years, and another one norwegian in aceh) and we shared the same feeling hahahha ...
They said, "hmm another borobudur?".. But apart from the temple, actually cambodian is really really similar to indonesia.. The people, the landscape, the surroundings, and (somehow) the food, etc which is maybe why I feel kind of bored..It's kinda funny though that I hardly meet ANY indonesian during my trip and here in cambodia I actually meet two foreigners who's living in Indonesian and we were talking in Indonesian.
I've tried ice cream, eating in a nice place to "cure" my tiredness, but only temporarily worked..
Tomorrow morning I'm leaving to Bangkok, already booked the taxi. It's just crazy, because normally taxi to the border cost somewhere like US$35, and this time it's US$60!... The hotel found one taxi and one passenger so I could share it, US$30 each. From the border I could take the bus (1st class which is faster) to the bus station in bangkok, total would cost me like US$50..
Actually there's a flight from Phnom Penh to Bangkok, but it's a morning flight (8 a.m.) and I dont think I want to spend one more night in Phnom Penh again, plus with it's around US$60 for the ticket and another 25 for the airport tax..
Anyway the plan for tonight is to go see the Dr. Beatocello performing free concert of Bach's cello pieces and his own composition. It's free but any donation received will go to the children's hospital here in Siem Reap.
Cambodia is expensive my friend, more expensive than I thought... Vietnam or Laos is much cheaper. Even bangkok..
Looking forward in thailand. Hope Chiang Mai would somehow "cure" me...
Friday, October 20, 2006
Angkor Whaaaaat???????????
The boat trip from Battambang was a pleasant one. Taking 6 hours, we arrived at the pier around 1.30 and was immediately attacked by moto and tuk tuk drivers who literally jump inside the boat and offering their service. I finally got one and went to the hotel which he insisted. I didn't have any hotel actually, so I just went with him, if you dont like it just ask him to take you to another one. He took me to 3 hotels.....
He give the transport free as I also agreed to his service to take me to the temples of Angkor the next day. After bargaining (hard), we agreed on US$13 for the whole day. Later I found out that the rate varies from $9-11..
The one day pass is 20dollars and it's valid for 24 hours. There's a three days pass, 40 dollars.It's a vast complex of temples actually, which was built during the period from 8-11 A.D., with hinduism style (imagine Prambanan style) though some used as buddhist temples.
There are many ways of visiting, from cars, motobikes, tuk tuk, and actually biking is a very nice way to visit the Angkor temples IF you have the time.
That's one thing that I didn't have. Well, actually I had a motobike driver that drove me there in the morning. But some times before noon my digicam battery was out and so was the spare.. Hmm no chance, had to go back to hotel, charge it and come back around 2 pm. But instead of going with the motobike, I was really curious about the biking thing. So, there I went at 3 pm and try to take some pictures I missed during the day.
Now, it's 6 km from Siem Reap to the temples complex and following a little plan, there were 17km altogether, covering Angkor Watt, Bayon, and the Ta Phrom, before circling back to Angkor Wat. It was already 6 pm when I got out of the Ta Phrom (THE temple which was used as the setting for Tomb Raider).
So, it was almost dark, the road was ok though but on the left and right side : Trees and darkness. After 15 minutes pedalling, it was completely dark. Thank God I wasn't alone, but there sometimes other motorbike passing, or coming from the other side, sometimes another biker from the opposite direction.I could felt the bugs flying and hitting my face as I rushed as fast as I could to at least reach the Angkor Wat complex..
I made it finally, arriving in hotel at 7 pm, with numb butt.......
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
And the journey continues....
OK now,
today in Battambang (spelled Battembong), just arrived like an hour ago. A not too big city. Just transiting anyway before taking the boat tomorrow morning to Siem Reap...
I think, the 2 day I spent in Phnom Penh were enough, as I have done all the walking around city (from 9.30 - 15.00ca).. Felt like broken legs! hahahahhahaha...
The day started with a visit to the Genocide Museum just in front of the Boddhi Tree (a very nice place to hang out, staff are very friendly. They even shared the story about: local girl 10.000riel, vietnam 5dollars!!!).
Anyway, The museum is, well, very depressing.... It's a building (used to be a school, but then changed to a prison) where the Pol Pot regime tortured and imprisoned almost 20.000 cambodian, men, women, children, babies before eliminating them, between 1975-1979). To take a peek: http://www.tuolsleng.com/
The local said that Pol Pot killed all people who were smart, educated in order to have an absolute control of the country.
As normally a school building, there aare (class) rooms, and inside each room are boards with pictures of faces of the people imprisoned with their eyes just looked right into you. At the entrance of the wall were signed "no laughing". How could you laugh? It's too depressing. Some were painting on how the regime tortured and murdered the people in the Killing Field. Actually I wanted to go to the Killing Field museum, but after this visit to the school, I changed my mind. It'd be just too depressing........
Although I might look for the dvd in Jakarta of the american movie the killing field....
Then I took a walk to the Palace, the Silver Pagoda. Actually it's called silver pagoda because the floor temple was covered with pure silver, while local people call it the Emerald Buddha Pagoda as it houses an emerald buddha (not too big), and a standing buddha covered in gold and thousands of diamonds......!!!!!!
Too bad it's forbidden to take photographs in the temple...
Well, Cambodia in general looks very much like Indonesia 10 years ago... the people, on the contrary, looks 100% like indonesians! except that they speaks another language :-).. some words are similar though, Psar is pasar in indonesian, bobor is bubur.
This morning, my clothes that I left to laundry yesterday morning were still half wet. I couldn't do anything since they delivered it at 7.30 this morning. So, how my balcony in the hotel has my clothes hanging hahahha.. FOr this balcony, A/C and hot water, it's US$12/night...
today in Battambang (spelled Battembong), just arrived like an hour ago. A not too big city. Just transiting anyway before taking the boat tomorrow morning to Siem Reap...
I think, the 2 day I spent in Phnom Penh were enough, as I have done all the walking around city (from 9.30 - 15.00ca).. Felt like broken legs! hahahahhahaha...
The day started with a visit to the Genocide Museum just in front of the Boddhi Tree (a very nice place to hang out, staff are very friendly. They even shared the story about: local girl 10.000riel, vietnam 5dollars!!!).
Anyway, The museum is, well, very depressing.... It's a building (used to be a school, but then changed to a prison) where the Pol Pot regime tortured and imprisoned almost 20.000 cambodian, men, women, children, babies before eliminating them, between 1975-1979). To take a peek: http://www.tuolsleng.com/The local said that Pol Pot killed all people who were smart, educated in order to have an absolute control of the country.
As normally a school building, there aare (class) rooms, and inside each room are boards with pictures of faces of the people imprisoned with their eyes just looked right into you. At the entrance of the wall were signed "no laughing". How could you laugh? It's too depressing. Some were painting on how the regime tortured and murdered the people in the Killing Field. Actually I wanted to go to the Killing Field museum, but after this visit to the school, I changed my mind. It'd be just too depressing........
Although I might look for the dvd in Jakarta of the american movie the killing field....
Then I took a walk to the Palace, the Silver Pagoda. Actually it's called silver pagoda because the floor temple was covered with pure silver, while local people call it the Emerald Buddha Pagoda as it houses an emerald buddha (not too big), and a standing buddha covered in gold and thousands of diamonds......!!!!!!
Too bad it's forbidden to take photographs in the temple...
Well, Cambodia in general looks very much like Indonesia 10 years ago... the people, on the contrary, looks 100% like indonesians! except that they speaks another language :-).. some words are similar though, Psar is pasar in indonesian, bobor is bubur.
This morning, my clothes that I left to laundry yesterday morning were still half wet. I couldn't do anything since they delivered it at 7.30 this morning. So, how my balcony in the hotel has my clothes hanging hahahha.. FOr this balcony, A/C and hot water, it's US$12/night...
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Phnom Penh
16oct2006
Finally, in Phnom Penh, after more than 24 hours on the trip.
Actually it was a real mess and disaster about this trip. Back in Saigon when I was having my breakfast at 7 o'clock, there was already a girl from Delta Adv rushing me to finish my breakfast as the groups were waiting, no problem though, as I was already quite finish.
Anyway in the tour office, I was told by the manager that I was the only one signed for the 2 day trip to Phnom Penh and the lady just told me to take the 3 days tour. I was so angry because she was rushing everything which left me somehow unable to think clearly. So at the end I yelled at here saying the she could've told me yesterday and not this morning rushing someone in his breakfast and then pushed to take the 3 days tour. I said I didn't have the time and there's no way I'm taking the 3 days tour. I mean she could've simply said that I was the only one signed for the tour and they're not doing it. Anyway, finally I took off with the group that's going for the 3 days tour. This I found out later on the boat..
So, the program was that I joined the 3 days tour for the 1st day and for the 2nd day to Phnom Penh I would be "transferred" to another 3 days trip that left the day earlier. ok now, the Mekong Delta Tour was not exactly a bad trip, it's ok, they took us to see the villages.
When we finished the tour at 6.30 another bus picked me up and took me to Chau Doc, the nearest city to the border. I slept in a guesthouse where the next morning another guide would take me and join the other group.
The last part of the trip, from Chau Doc to the border is a 3 hours trip, starting with some visits to the fishing village, Cham-moslem village.
Finally we arrived at the border and the guide took care of everything. She gathered all the passports and while we waited at a coffee shop for something to eat, she arranged everything for the exit-stamp. After that, we changed to another boat. Seemed like a company that cooperate with Delta Adventure. It was the capitol tour. The boat was, well, bad. Anyway, a short ride to the Cambodian immigration office which we all got the entry stamp. Later on I found out that my arrival card from Indonesian Immigration was gone. I stapled it in my passport but it wasn't there anymore.
After 2 hours sailing, we reached the so-called bus station, which looked more like a warehouse with buses and cars inside. There was something fishy about this as the guide told us that there are 3 buses that will take us downtown. Apparently, he's kinda selling us the various guesthouses. I don't know but I was even told to stay while the others had to board the bus. Me? waiting alone? in the middle of nowhere? Just no way. So after some arguments they let us all 9 people got in the bus. The situation was that in the bus, there were only 8 seats left, and we were 9. I had to stay? There were a spanish couple, diana and anghel who told me that If I had to stay, they would stay and wait also with me. I appreciated that very much.
The bus ride took 1 hour to get to the city. Hmm crowded, traffic, more cars than Hanoi or Saigon, but not many as Jakarta ;p..
At one guesthouse where they dropped us (in vietnam, they always do this, dropped you any guesthouse they like and get the commission), I saw a young man waving a card with my name on it haa!.. Thank God. Actually it was really that far actually, but it's dark, and new place.
The boddhi tree guesthouse is a little guesthouse that's cozy, with garden where they put chairs, dining table (there's also a restaurant which is quite famous).
I got a single room with bathroom and fan, US$8.
People in Cambodia is very much different from Vietnam. While in vietnam they look more chinese, here is a mix between malay, indian and chinese. It doesn't feel much different from Thailand though.
Finally, in Phnom Penh, after more than 24 hours on the trip.
Actually it was a real mess and disaster about this trip. Back in Saigon when I was having my breakfast at 7 o'clock, there was already a girl from Delta Adv rushing me to finish my breakfast as the groups were waiting, no problem though, as I was already quite finish.
Anyway in the tour office, I was told by the manager that I was the only one signed for the 2 day trip to Phnom Penh and the lady just told me to take the 3 days tour. I was so angry because she was rushing everything which left me somehow unable to think clearly. So at the end I yelled at here saying the she could've told me yesterday and not this morning rushing someone in his breakfast and then pushed to take the 3 days tour. I said I didn't have the time and there's no way I'm taking the 3 days tour. I mean she could've simply said that I was the only one signed for the tour and they're not doing it. Anyway, finally I took off with the group that's going for the 3 days tour. This I found out later on the boat..
So, the program was that I joined the 3 days tour for the 1st day and for the 2nd day to Phnom Penh I would be "transferred" to another 3 days trip that left the day earlier. ok now, the Mekong Delta Tour was not exactly a bad trip, it's ok, they took us to see the villages.
When we finished the tour at 6.30 another bus picked me up and took me to Chau Doc, the nearest city to the border. I slept in a guesthouse where the next morning another guide would take me and join the other group.
The last part of the trip, from Chau Doc to the border is a 3 hours trip, starting with some visits to the fishing village, Cham-moslem village.
Finally we arrived at the border and the guide took care of everything. She gathered all the passports and while we waited at a coffee shop for something to eat, she arranged everything for the exit-stamp. After that, we changed to another boat. Seemed like a company that cooperate with Delta Adventure. It was the capitol tour. The boat was, well, bad. Anyway, a short ride to the Cambodian immigration office which we all got the entry stamp. Later on I found out that my arrival card from Indonesian Immigration was gone. I stapled it in my passport but it wasn't there anymore.
After 2 hours sailing, we reached the so-called bus station, which looked more like a warehouse with buses and cars inside. There was something fishy about this as the guide told us that there are 3 buses that will take us downtown. Apparently, he's kinda selling us the various guesthouses. I don't know but I was even told to stay while the others had to board the bus. Me? waiting alone? in the middle of nowhere? Just no way. So after some arguments they let us all 9 people got in the bus. The situation was that in the bus, there were only 8 seats left, and we were 9. I had to stay? There were a spanish couple, diana and anghel who told me that If I had to stay, they would stay and wait also with me. I appreciated that very much.
The bus ride took 1 hour to get to the city. Hmm crowded, traffic, more cars than Hanoi or Saigon, but not many as Jakarta ;p..
At one guesthouse where they dropped us (in vietnam, they always do this, dropped you any guesthouse they like and get the commission), I saw a young man waving a card with my name on it haa!.. Thank God. Actually it was really that far actually, but it's dark, and new place.
The boddhi tree guesthouse is a little guesthouse that's cozy, with garden where they put chairs, dining table (there's also a restaurant which is quite famous).
I got a single room with bathroom and fan, US$8.
People in Cambodia is very much different from Vietnam. While in vietnam they look more chinese, here is a mix between malay, indian and chinese. It doesn't feel much different from Thailand though.
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