Public Transportation in Jakarta [1]

The strong heat of Jakarta welcomes you at Soekarno-Hatta airport. Soon enough, you (specifically addressing Jakarta-first-timer) may experience the big fuzz every traveler mumbles about Jakarta all year long: traffic!

Yes, public transportation in Jakarta can be considered as a BIG headache!

As soon as you get off Soekarno-Hatta airport (assuming that you have no escort) you will be magically drawn into the mass of taxi drivers offering you to have their services.

Hmm.. what should you do?

The best thing is to order a taxi from inside the airport. You should check on the taxi desk nearby the baggage area. The cost will be around 200.000 IDR, and you will be driven straight to your destination. Rent a car is also an option, but the cost is higher, around 500.000 IDR.

DAMRI
The second best thing (backpackers, this one is for you) is to hop on the DAMRI (Djawatan Angkoetan Motor Repoeblik Indonesia). It's like airport-city shuttle bus. The buses are nice, clean, with AirCo (don't worry), and luggage dock. It only cost you around 20.000-30.000 IDR to get to the city center. From the city center you can continue by taxi (see below).


You can ask the airport staff, where to sit and wait for the DAMRIs. The DAMRI starts very early, around 4 am. and the interval between the DAMRIs are 15-20 minutes.

Here are some DAMRI routes:

• Soekarno-Hatta Airport - Blok M (bus terminal, south Jakarta). IF you are heading to west/south Jakarta (Slipi, Semanggi) you can ask the driver to drop you there.
• Soekarno-Hatta Airport - Lebak Bulus (bus terminal, south-east Jakarta)
• Soekarno-Hatta Airport - Rawa Mangun (bus terminal, east Jakarta)
• Soekarno-Hatta Airport - Kampung Rambutan (bus terminal, east Jakarta)
• Soekarno-Hatta Airport - Pasar Minggu (bus terminal, east Jakarta)
• Soekarno-Hatta Airport - Tanjung Priok (north of Jakarta)
• Soekarno-Hatta Airport - Kemayoran (north part of Jakarta)
• Soekarno-Hatta Airport - Bekasi (east part of Jakarta)
• Soekarno-Hatta Airport - Cikarang
• Soekarno-Hatta Airport - Gambir (train station, central Jakarta). IF you accomodation is located on the central Jakarta (Kebon Sirih, KH. Wahid Hasyim) you can ask the driver to drop you there.
• Soekarno-Hatta Airport - Serang, Banten (West Java)
• Soekarno-Hatta Airport - Bogor (West Java). The cost to get directly to Bogor is a little higher, around 30.000 IDR. But it's considered very cheap, if you compare it with taxis.

Click here to see DAMRI routes and hours.
Of course, you can also go to the airport using the DAMRIs.

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NEXT!
So, since you are now in town... How do you get yourself to places? Unfortunately, Jakarta has not yet equipped with fancy rapid transportation system such as the subways, or trams. But we do have several options :)

TAXI
If you are blessed with extra money on your pocket, then use taxi to run around Jakarta. Just go to you hotel lobby, usually the taxis are already lined up there, waiting to serve you. The standard taxis i recommend are from:

* Blue Bird (light blue with some kind of wing atop), to order by phone: +62 21 7917 1234


Taxi Pusaka Nuri, Pusaka Satria (also light blue, but different logo) are also part of the Blue Bird group. Please do beware that there are a lot of "Blue bird" imitation - as in the colour and the logo. Make sure that there are "Blue Bird Group" stated on the taxi before you take the ride. Besides blue bird, you can also ask for a more sleek and fancy taxi, Silver Bird (black ones). The cost is slightly higher that blue bird.

even the picture looks fancy

Some taxis are considerably cheaper than blue bird. You can see the sign of "tarif lama" or
"tarif bawah" or basic fee usually written on its window. Here are some "tarif bawah" taxis that you may trust:

* Express (white), to order by phone: +62 21 2650 9000


Express taxi also offer a big luxurious transport using Toyota Alphard. It's called Tiara Express. To order by phone: +62 21 2650 8000


* Putra (dark blue), to order by phone: +62 21 7817771



* Gamya (dark blue-green), to order by phone: +62 21 8779 5555 and 840 3838


* Trans Cab (bright yellow, like those in NY), to order by phone: +62 21 583 55 500. This one is nice because it has cable tv on it that you can watch during your trip :) takes your mind off the busy road.



Some TIPS:

• If you are (unwillingly) stranded somewhere in Jakarta at night, you can always call the taxis. But if you forget to write down taxi phone number, and you can only find the "suspicious taxi", always make sure that the driver will use the argo (meter). Otherwise, you may find yourself giving away thousands IDRs for a short ride.
• Even if you take a ride on the taxi, please make sure that you have the specific destination/address at hand (esp. when you are looking for an address - some friends/relatives' place) so that it will ease the driver too.
• You can also talk with the driver to "bond" in some way that the taxi ride will be more enjoyable :)

There are also another public transportation that you can take. Let me start with the big and shiny one...

TRANS JAKARTA
Trans Jakarta, or the local often calls "BUSWAY" - which actually refers to the bus lane, currently have 9 routes called "koridor" that can take you to most places in Jakarta.

Ticket price:
05.00-07.00 = 2000 IDR
07.00-22.00 = 3500 IDR

Trans Jakarta is nice when it's not so crowded

Usually, we can differentiate the bus route through its different colours:
Koridor 1: red-yellow Mercedes-Benz & Hino
Koridor 2: blue-white and grey Daewoo
Koridor 3: red-yellow and grey Daewoo
Koridor 4: grey Daewoo & Hyundai (JTM), Hino (PP)
Koridor 5: grey double HuangHai (JMT), double Komodo (LRN)
Koridor 6: grey Daewoo & Hyundai (JTM), bus Hino (PP)
Koridor 7: grey Daewoo & Hyundai (JMT), bus Hino (LRN)
Koridor 8: grey Hino (LRN) bus Hino (PP)

Trans Jakarta - the red one

Here are some links (taken from www.suaratransjakarta.org) to download the Trans Jakarta routes:
Download link (printable version) - 507 KB
Download link (complete version) - 1536 KB
IF by any chances, you left your luggage or anything on the bus, you can call BLU Trans Jakarta +62 21 7228727

KORIDOR 1 (Blok M - Kota)
*Halte Kota: Stop here if you wish to continue you journey by train (Station Kota) or to Mangga Dua shopping district (with a short angkot ride).
*Halte Glodok
*Halte Olimo
*Halte Mangga Besar
*Halte Sawah Besar
*Halte Harmoni: Stop here if you want to transfer to Koridor 2, 3, and 8 (holiday only)
*Halte Monas: Stop here if you wish to go to Monas (the national monument and iconic symbol of Jakarta) or to pay a visit to Museum Gajah (the national museum).
*Halte Bank Indonesia
*Halte Sarinah: Stop here if you want to go to Sarinah, Jl. Sabang, or Jl. Jaksa. This area is blessed with 24-hour food, late night snack, and cozy place to hang out (with beer, of course).
*Halte Bundaran HI: Stop here if you want to go to Plaza Indonesia and EX mall.
*Halte Tosari: Stop here if you want to go to Grand Indonesia.
*Halte Dukuh Atas: Stop here if you want to transfer to Koridor 4 and 6.
*Halte Setia Budi
*Halte Karet
*Halte Benhill: Stop here if you want to go to Plaza Semanggi.
*Halte Polda Metro: Stop here if you want to go to Pasific Place (walk a little bit).
*Halte Gelora Bung Karno: Stop here if you want to go to FX Mall (walk a little bit).
*Halte Bundara Senayan: Stop here if you want to go to Ratu Plaza. Get to the back of Ratu Plaza, and voila! you are already in Plaza Senayan. Another 5 minutes walk, and you get to Senayan City :)
*Halte Masjid Agung
*Halte Blok M: Stop here if you want to go to Blok M area.

KORIDOR 2 (Pulo Gadung - Harmoni)
*Halte Pulo Gadung
*Halte Bermis
*Halte Pulomas
*Halte Asmi: Stop here if you want to go to Kelapa Gading area.
*Halte Pedongkelan
*Halte Cempaka Timur
*Halte RS. Islam
*Halte Cempaka Tengah
*Halte Pasar Cempaka Putih
*Halte Rawa Selatan
*Halte Galur
*Halte Senen: Stop here if you want to transter to Koridor 5.
*Halte RSPAD
*Halte Deplu
*Halte Istiqlal
*Halte Juanda
*Halte Pecenongan
*Halte Harmoni: Stop here if you want to transfer to Koridor 1, 3, and 8 (holiday only).

Trans Jakarta - the blue one

KORIDOR 3 (Kalideres - Pasar Baru)
*Halte Kalideres
*Halte Pesakih
*Halte Sumur Bor
*Halte Rawa Buaya
*Halte Jembatan Baru
*Halte Dispenda Samsat Barat
*Halte Jembatan Gantung
*Halte Taman Kota
*Halte Indosiar
*Halte Jelambar: Stop here if you want to go to Mall Ciputra/Citraland.
*Halte Grogol: Stop here if you want to transfer to Koridor 8.
*Halte RS Sumber Waras
*Halte Harmoni: Stop here if you want to transfer to Koridor 1 and 2.
*Halte Pecenongan
*Halte Juanda
*Halte Pasar Baru: Stop here if you want to go to Pasar Baru area.

KORIDOR 4 (Pulogadung - Dukuh Atas)
*Halte Pulogadung
*Halte Tugas
*Halte Pertamina
*Halte Telkom
*Halte Tarakanita
*Halte Sunan Giri
*Halte IKIP
*Halte Kehakiman
*Halte BPKP
*Halte Utan Kayu
*Halte Pasar Genjing
*Halte Pasar Pramuka
*Halte Matraman I: Stop here if you want to transfer to Koridor 5.
*Halte Manggarai
*Halte Pasar Rumput
*Halte Halimun
*Halte Dukuh Atas 2: Stop here if you want to transfer to Koridor 1 and 6.

KORIDOR 5 (Ancol - Kampung Melayu)
*Halte Ancol: Stop here if you want to go to Ancol or Dufan.
*Halte Pademangan
*Halte Gunung Sahari Mangga Dua: Stop here if you want to go to Mangga Dua area.
*Halte Jembatan Merah
*Halte Pasar Baru Timur
*Halte Budi Utomo
*Halte Senen: Stop here if you want to transfer to Koridor 2.
*Halte Pal Putih
*Halte Kramat Sentiong (NU)
*Halte Salemba Universitas Indonesia
*Halte Salemba St. Carolus
*Halte Matraman 1: Stop here if you want to transfer to Koridor 4.
*Halte Tegalan: Stop here if you want to go to Gramedia bookstore. The one in Matraman is the biggest in Jakarta.
*Halte Slamet Riyadi
*Halte Urip Sumohardjo
*Halte Kebon Pala
*Halte Pasar Jatinegara
*Halte Kampung Melayu: Stop here if you want to transter to Koridor 7.

Trans Jakarta - the (double) grey one

KORIDOR 6 (Ragunan - Dukuh Atas)
*Halte Ragunan: Stop here if you want to go to Ragunan Zoo.
*Halte Departemen Pertanian
*Halte SMK 57
*Halte Jati Padang
*Halte Pejaten Phillips: Stop here if you want to go to Kemang area, continue with minibus or taxi.
*Halte Buncit Indah
*Halte Warung Jati
*Halte Imigrasi
*Halte Duren Tiga
*Halte Mampang Prapatan
*Halte Kuningan Timur
*Halte Patra Kuningan
*Halte Depkes
*Halte GOR Sumantri: Stop here if you want to go to Pasar Festival, and Mega Kuningan area.
*Halte Karet Kuningan
*Halte Kuningan Madya Aini
*Halte Setiabudi Utara
*Halte Latu Harhari
*Halte Halimun: Stop here if you want to transter to Koridor 4.
*Halte Dukuh Atas 2: Stop here if you want to transter to Koridor 1.

KORIDOR 7 (Kampung Rambutan – Kampung Melayu)
*Halte Kampung Rambutan
*Halte Tanah Merdeka
*Halte Flyover Raya Bogor
*Halte RS Harapan Bunda
*Halte Pasar Induk Kramat Jati
*Halte Cililitan PGC
*Halte BKN
*Halte Cawang UKI
*Halte BNN
*Halte Cawang Otista
*Halte Gelanggang Remaja
*Halte Bidaracina
*Halte Kampung Melayu: Stop here to transfer to Koridor 5.

KORIDOR 8 (Lebak Bulus – Harmoni)
*Halte Lebak Bulus
*Halte Pondok Pinang
*Halte Pondok Indah 1: Stop here if you want to go to Pondok Indah Mall.
*Halte Pondok Indah 2: Stop here if you want to go to Pondok Indah night area.
*Halte Tanah Kusir Kodim
*Halte Kebayoran Lama Bungur
*Halte Pasar Kebayoran Lama
*Halte Simprug
*Halte Permata Hijau: Stop here if you want to go to ITC Permata Hijau and Belleza Mall.
*Halte Permata Hijau RS Medika
*Halte Pos Pengumben
*Halte Kelapa Dua Sasak
*Halte Kebon Jeruk
*Halte Duri Kepa
*Halte Kedoya Assiddiqiyah
*Halte Kedoya Green Garden
*Halte Grogol 2: Stop here to transfer to Koridor 3.
*Halte Tomang Taman Anggrek: Stop here if you want to go to Taman Anggrek Mall.
*Halte Tomang Mandala (only during holiday)
*Halte RS Tarakan (only during holiday)
*Halte Petojo (only during holiday)
*Halte Harmoni: Stop here to transfer to Koridor 1 and 2 (only during holiday)

Koridor 9 Pinang Ranti - Halte Pluit (coming soon, 2010)

Koridor 10 Cililitan - Tanjung Priok (coming soon, 2010)

Koridor 11-15 are still in development :)

Hopefully, the trans Jakarta transportation system can be fully operated by 2012.. I mean , before we all die because of the end of the world hehehe *jk. Then, it will be so much easier to transfer from one place to another. Easier, and hopefully, faster.

NEXT!
There are more about transportation in Jakarta: buses, angkots, bemos, etc. on the (upcoming) second [2] part.

Ramadhan. Loh kok loyo?

Ramadhan, bulan puasa bagi yang menunaikannya.
Bulan penuh rahmat, bulan penuh berkah melimpah.

Sekarang, saya mau melihat makna "puasa" dari kacamata saya pribadi. Saya, yang adalah seorang awam, dan juga seorang non-muslim. Ini murni pendapat pribadi loh, kalau ada yang yang tidak setuju... mohon saya diberitahu.

* "Puasa" sebagai alasan untuk malas-malasan
Selama bulan puasa, bisa-bisa kinerja perusahaan berkurang karena banyak karyawannya yang malas-malasan. Puasa kok males? Lah apa gunanya puasa? Apalagi yang malas-malasan itu orang-orang yang bekerja di kantoran. Duh, bagaimana bangsa ini mau maju...

* "Puasa" sebagai alasan untuk pulang cepat
Baru jam 4 sore.. kok sudah kabur semua? Cek saja, beberapa instansi tertentu akan amat sangat dihubungi kalau sudah bulan puasa. Jam 3 atau jam 4 sore personilnya kebanyakan sudah menghilang. Gak produktif donk?

* Buka puasa kok makannya malah jadi rakus?
Ini mau buka puasa dalam artian bersyukur atau mau show off? Segala macam makanan kemudian dilahap. Mulai dari kolak, cendol, bubur biji salak, teh botol, jajanan pasar, belum lagi makanan hidangan utama macam rendang, opor, dll... lalu ditutup oleh sirup buah. Yeh... ini mah masih bulan puasa.. belom Lebaran cuy! Mending juga itu makanan dibagi-bagi ke orang yang susah makan. Buka puasa kan gak harus lebay juga makanannya. Ya toch? Ataukah ini bukti orang-orang Indonesia gampang termakan oleh iklan tv? Semua makanan harus dijajal.

* Buka puasa = mal-mal penuh sesak, termasuk mushollanya
Iya lah! Orang-orang sibuk pulang kantor, beribadah di musholla mall, lalu lanjut buka puasa di mall sambil cuci mata. Begitulah gaya orang-orang kota hahaha

* Buka puasa = ruas jalan tertentu ploooong!
Mantaaaf! Ini dia yang paling oke pada saat bulan puasa. Berhubung banyak orang yang berusaha pulang cepat (sebelum jam 5) untuk buka puasa di tempat-tempat tertentu, atau baru pulang setelah buka puasa (setelah jam 7) ~ tentu saja hal ini tidak berlaku klo terjadi Act of God macam gempa beberapa hari yang lalu...

Apapun motifnya, yang pasti puasa itu baik.
Menahan lapar, dahaga, nafsu, dan yang paling penting... amarah.

Selamat berpuasa teman2!

Bahasa SMS ABG masa kini

W mw dUnkz jLn br9 u lgeeh. cuZ U co P1 yg pLin9 w caYnk. Ugh cN3nkh de9h kLo u dtG k hum W. Rsx w 9 mw dtgal u c.

Hayoo, ada yang bisa mengartikan kalimat di atas?

YuPz u cMua pStix biNun n pSynk!

Semakin lama dilihat semakin bikin brain damage ya?
HAHAHAHA... begitulah "kreativitas" ABG masa kini [baca: tahun 2008-2009]. Mengapa aku bilang "kreatif"? Karena mereka berhasil mengelabui dan membuat bingung orang-orang kebanyakan [baca: orang tua dll yang umurnya setidaknya, mungkin, 6 tahun di atas mereka] dengan "bahasa sandi" mereka.

Entah darimana asal muasal tulisan dan pengejaan tersebut. Diajarin di sekolah? Ya gak mungkin lah! Diajarin di rumah? Boro-boro bonyoknya ngerti barang beginian.

Yang jelas, virus ini menular dari satu anak ke anak yang lain. Motifnya apa? Status kreatif-asik-gaul kah? Tidak juga ah. Bahasa gaul itu macam lekong, curcol, meneketehe, CDMA masih cukup lumrah lah untuk kalangan AGJ [baca: anak GAOOOL Jakarta] dan penghuni-penghuni kebanyakan. Tapi kalau bahasa SMS macam ini mah bukan bahasa gaul. BAHASA PLANET!

Beberapa kali teman-temanku bingung pabila mendapat sms ala ABG. Disodorkanlah mobile mereka padaku... dengan tampang berkerut dan bibir sedikit menganga. "Coba baca deh, maksudnya apa sih?" Mulailah aku memasuki rimba sms, mencoba menerjemahkan.

Aku cNdiRi juga bingung dengan CaPitaL-aBusE dan num3r1c-4bu5e yang dipergunakan. Apa gak pegel yah itu jempolnya? Namun apa boleh buat, kita-kita yang sudah lebih dewasa [sebagai kakak, atau pun sebagai orang tua] harus lebih jago alias gape alias pinter alias smart dUnKs untuk menganalisa dan menterjemahkan "bahasa sandi" tertera di atas. At least, we know what they're talking about, right? ;)

Lucky me, adik kecilku ga ketularan virus sms-maniac ini!

The long weekend of the birthday girl

No. I am not going to show empathy for the blast victim of Kuningan that happened several days ago. Lots of people and media have done that for them. I have also put on Indonesian flag on my Twitter avatar >> how to? #indonesiaunite <<

Yay! HAPPY BIRTHDAY ME! ~*

July 18 - The day before the D-day
Too bad i couldn't be at Rannu's weeding in Bali. It's a little too much to ask for such a short notice. I did not have the money :P Anyway, Happy Birthday and Happy Wedding, Rannu!

But i did go to someone's weeding. My friend, Ruben, was going to play with his band on someone's wed in Bogor. Unplanned, i joined him along with Chikha and Zee. Ari was not around because she's having a weekend trip to Jogja [argh%^&@&*!!]. With a little makeover on the clothing section... [to be honest, we - Zee and i - were not prepared at all] voila! we became a "part" of the band! Good music and good food. Extremely good Zup-a-soup! and a glass of Heineken to top it off!

After the wed, we found it too difficult to lay off the night. So we decided to have a sneak peek at Public. Little that we knew that that was the last opening night for Public!!! They have closed Embassy, Wonder bar, etc. Public was the last one to go. The lot will be replaced with apartment. Too bad :(

With a little confidence, we walked to the entrance. Oops! It was invitation only kinda party! I worked on my innocent face and talked it out with the bouncer.. and voila! we were in! :D
Well, we only stayed there for an hour or so. Just needed the loud music and the dance/night life ambiance that haven't been felt for quite some time. "Happy birthday" hugs and kisses were given when the clock passed 00.00. oh yeah!


July 19 - The ups and downs
Started a little early in the morning. Went to church with my mom, although it's not my ideal time to pray. With an extremely sleepy head (!!!), i crashed again as soon as i got home. On my mobile, some friends sent "happy birthday" texts... very kind of them.

Still with an extremely sleepy head and not really a fine mood [since i've been waiting for certain people's wishes...], Chikha Ruben and Zee crashed my room with a cake, shouting Happy Birthday out loud! Kyaaaaaaaaa... that was the sweetest thing! *terharu - blurry eyes* T.T I shed my growing tears and sincerely thanked them :)

>> hopefully i can upload the cake's pic soon! <<

We said a little pray, ate the birthday cake together, then ate (this eating thing went continuously) lalapan with sambal and chicken my mom made, then ate more cake while watching Penelope. When we went to Karawaci to (originally) accompany Chikha to go on air, we (with no purpose at all!) ended eating more cakes and bakso :P More eating in the midnite... sipping fresh advocado juice and eating Nasi Goreng Keju Korned alias Juned! I never thought that we would ate so much that day!

A dear friend whose call/text have been awaited the whole day finally called me around 22.00. Two more hours to go, then i will not forgive you, girl!!! But another loved one failed to remember my birthday, as always :'(

July 20 - The closing time
The initial plan was to go to Blitz and watched Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince! There was no line up for the day. Well almost all of friends have watched HP 6 on the weekend. We watched in Auditorium1, the big one. The place reminds me of Pathe, the grote zaal, and my movie adventure back in Holland. Anyway, the movie ticket worth the price of IDR 50,000 - a price that's considered quite high for Indonesian. A little note about the movie: Hermione's hair is getting better, i guess she uses hair mousse now. And Ginny.. she's taller than Harry!

The plan was accomplished with no harm done :) and I am so happy! Just a movie, a plate of Hoka-Hoka Bento, and a little chit chat before we all went home. Too bad Ari, you weren't there.
It was a lovely way to spend a long weekend, indeed.

I met Ulms, and Diana Krall, and Edric!

Tired, still.
Spent the whole day sleeping and sleeping and sleeping. Yet somehow my energy can not be well-restored! ha! Well, un-restored energy doesn't really keep me from going to Senci to meet Ulmie and Goldie hehehehe

Haven't met Ulmie for 2 years now, since she is still living in NL. She looked good, happy, and - she said this herself - gain a lil weight during her 3 weeks stay in Indo. She brought her bf, Iko si anak gaoool hahaha, who is apparently Sita's friend, too. We ate and chatted for approximately 3 hours there. It was a good catch-up :)

I skipped church the following morning, a thing that made my mom so furious. Well, i prefer sleeping in my own bed than sleeping in the middle of a mass. Doh! Am still in Uge after effect anyway; am not ready to go back to church >:)

So went back to sleep again. and again. and again. I forced myself to wake up and get prepared for Diana Krall's Concert in Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Pasific Place Jakarta :D [Lengkap tuh informasinya!] I adooooooore Diana Krall!

My precious Diana Krall ticket!

I got goosebumps when she got on to the stage. Golda and I [oh yeah, I watched the concert with Goldie and we accidentally met Natnat] got the middle row there, enjoyed every bit of the superb jazz performance! Oh how i ENVY those who got the platinum tickets for they might get the chance to have a cocktail after party with Diana Krall!!! Kya! I spotted several celebrities watching the concert, too.

Edric!! YES i spotted Edric. He walked pass me after the show. I was so stunned i couldn't say a word. And Goldie was not very helpful as she didn't really recognize Edric. Auw... he was so... uhm.. cute? Uhm cute is not the right word. He was so Edric! Sukaaaaaaaaa! Hope I can met you again, uhm maybe in Gading :P Ah, saya suka Edric.

And now i'm hungry again. I'll grab something, anything, to eat before crashing. Ciao!

Lebaran ala Jakarta

Sudah mau lebaran. H-2 katanya.

Jalanan sepi mobil, tidak macet. Saya suka.

Jalanan sepi, angkot jarang, klopun ada nge-tem nya lama.
Alhasil ke kantor jadi ekstra kepanasan nungguin angkot. Saya tidak suka.

Orang-orang sibuk di dapur bikin ketupat, opor ayam, dll. Berbahagialah mereka yang suka...
Tapi buat saya sih biasa saja, wong saya tidak suka.

Orang-orang main petasan, kembang api, dll di jalanan. Bunyinya menyeramkan... Saya tidak suka *trauma*

Lebaran di Jakarta? Gak ngefek buat saya. Wong saya gak lebaran.
Saya juga gak bakalan di Jakarta pas Lebaran hahaha

Selamat Idul Fitri عيد الفطر teman-teman :)

Public transport in Jakarta? Terrifying enough.

Jakarta.
Everyday is a same thing horrible experience.
Especially when one is using public transportation.

I am talking about the traffic jam itself which is already a pain in the ass. Nor the "unlicensed" motorbikes running around like mad men if not being forced to obey road rules. Nor the un-manner pedestrians crossing the street as they like, walking as if the road is theirs alone.

I am talking about what happened in between - in cars, in buses, in "angkot"s. Specifically referring to public transportation, a mass of people - unknown origins, motives, and destinations - jumped in. They ride together, side by side with strangers. Some strangers are just common people, while some others are there to make a living. Make a living? Yes, by singing [which is very much acceptable], by selling stuffs [also acceptable], and by being a malicious criminal. Pickpockets, as they say, spreads on dense buses. For example: 213 - the bus i take almost every single day to work.

GOD protects me, i know. I know it since i've experience some quite terrifying rides... and survived it :)

Some maybe-somewhat-useful TIPS, esp. for girls who travel alone with public transportation:

• Watch your bag at all time. Make sure that the zipperhead is located where you can see it.
• Use bag with side pockets placed close to your body. There shall you put your coins and spare money for your ride - put it there beforehand. Therefore you are not going to unzip your bag and reveal whatever it is that you bring [tempting jewels, delicious wallet, or super expensive mobile phone] to foreigners.
• Lose that cute innocent weak face and put on a "preman" face. As much as you can, do not show fear in your eyes when "odd" people approaches. Speak with clear and calm tone if needed. Being cute and innocent will not be very helpful in such situation.
• Do not wear fancy jewels that will attract them pickpockets. Just put them on your bag, wear them when you get to your destination. Doh!
• Have skills on martial arts will be a BIG advantage. hehe..

To be honest, if it is possible... I DO NOT RECOMMEND using public transports in Jakarta.
So girls... if you got the money, you should ride with your own vehicle, preferably car + driver [hmm... this is tricky, because drivers can be malicious too].
If you do not have the money, go find yourself a loyal boyfriend with a nice car!! Hahaha >:p

Hujan di Jakarta, pertanda banjir?

Sampai di rumah, agak sedikit kehujanan.
Baju sebelah kiri basah terkena rembesan air hujan dari atap bus. Mau bilang apa, bayar 2500 perak kok minta kendaraan yang oke?

Langsung menyantap nasi goreng bikinan bapak langganan di belakang rumah. Maklum, males masak, berhubung mama juga lagi gak ada di rumah [entah kapan mau pulang dari Medan]. Minum teh hangat super manis, lumayan untuk menghilangkan sakit kepalaku. Dari tadi siang memang penglihatan mengabur [lihat dison jadi titik blurry, kok kliatannya tambah cantik lol], jalan agak miring-miring sedikit, mungkin tekanan darahku drop lagi.

Jakarta hujan, banjir lagi...

I just got off the phone with Sher. Stuck in the office, she said.
Ga bisa pulang gara-gara jalan depan kantor banjir [jalan sudirman depan atmajaya]. Di tambah lagi rumahnya ikutan kebanjiran! Stress lah dia, ada laptop dan komputer yang penuh data yang terendam di sana. Hm... apa mau dikata kalau musim hujan datang lebih awal, kalau siklus banjir di jakarta jadi sebulan sekali, kalau orang-orang penghuni jakarta tetap tidak peduli akan kebersihan kota, kalau dalam jangka waktu 50 - bahkan mungkin 20 - tahun ke depan jakarta akan terendam lautan layaknya amsterdam?

- - -

*extra stuff, have already told this to E [this has nothing to do with Jakarta]
This morning i saw Kenny G's unplugged videos, he's doing duets with several singers. I kind of recognize the partner... hum... Li Hong? [read: Lee Hom - English version] My guess were right! Kyaaa he's so freaking talented! I'm a BIG Wang Lee Hom fan.
Next, Kenny G called another talented singer. this time it's from Indonesia. Guess who? Glenn Fredly! I'm also a BIG Glenn Fredly fan. Kutunggu dudamu!!!
Thus, I was content :)

PACKING!

I AM PACKING!

Tapi bolehlah disela-sela packing kita cuci mata dulu. So, rencana mau bangun pagi-pagi terus jalan penuh sejarah ke MONAS and ke museum gajah demi merayakan sehari menjelang 17 agustus-an [yes, i am being a nationalist!] GAGAL total wahahahahahah.. Me and my family went to Pondok Indah Mall instead. I had my cousin staying over in my house for several months while her husband is doing his study in Bogor [he's a soldier].

Daripada sepupu saya bengong-bengong di rumah maen Sudoku [Ouw, my mom and my cousin got addicted to SUDOKU!!!!], lebih baik kita jalan-jalan laaaaah

I bought my self a purple dress and two new books: Paulo Coelho's The Witch of Portobello and Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner! Good, i got myself readings during my vakantie in Bali ;)

Puas muter-muter PIM sampe gempor... [and i think i saw Cherry, one of my friends from Holland] I went to Plaza Senayan to meet my friend Chika and a new guy, Julius. I thought he lives somewhere in Pusat or Selatan when he finally said that he lives in Gading. Gosh, gading lagi gading lagi! He's a nice guy and lil bit cute with the hat :) He's Chika's friend - a friend she had for years but never got the chance to meet in person, till today! We spent our money buying some frappes at Starbucks [baru minggu lalu nongkrong di sini, doh!], chatted about stuffs and blablabla...

My girl Ck's confused about her current "relationship". Darling, i guess you're just having your syndrome of. I had it before. Ho, that's a whole different story. However, I applause you for being sober in whatever decision you made :D Cowo mah ngantri ck klo buat elo, hilang satu eh yang baru nongol lagi. Bagi-bagi gue, ck!

Home. Chat a bit with Cz. You go, boy!
Then i realize that it's a lil bit too late for packing :P
nyeh... I'll do it tomorrow hehehe
oyasuminasai!

P. S. We bumped into Agnes Monica at XXi Senayan. Wow, she's tan and gorgeous!

Weekend with the Pandiangans

Friday August 8th, 2008.
Eight is my favourite number. Yet, when people says that 8-8-8 is a good date, a good day... blah it didn't apply to me! I got all cranky all day, esp with the outrageously stupid phone connection. However, i did make it to meet my friend at Hard Rock that night, got acquainted with several new people, danced with indy barends and crew, admired dj Blanco (he's nice! lucky you, indy!).

Saturday August 9, 2008 + Sunday August 10, 2008.
I did what i had to do; i spent the weekend with the Pandiangans (pssst.. it's a runaway mission from home, actually). So we bought some stuffs at Blok M (Yes, no Gading this weekend. Yay!) then chilled at Senayan. It's so nice just to sit and chat :)

Location: Starbucks Plaza Senayan
zipping dark mocha frappe and hot chocolate :P

Oh! We watched CIDER on KBS. Thank to G, my Korean-girl-soul-trapped-in-Indonesian-girl-body friend. The show was hillarious! Couldn't stop myself from laughing! Then i realize that i need to do more exercise; my back hurts!

Java Jazz hype!

Asik2 kesampean nonton Java Jazz, with a different crowd this year. Nonton sama Golda, Andy, and Cris. Eeeeeeeeeh tiba-tiba K'Lisa nongol juga. Jadilah kita berlima kaya power ranger. Lumayan seru sih. Area Senayan super rame. cari parkirnya syusah banget. But then again, i was not really my problem - i was not the one who's driving :P

Location: JHCC

Nungguin golda ama cris dateng lambreta bambang dari Plaza Senayan... auw i miss some show because i had all of their tickets (!) And to my amazement, Golda masih sempet-sempetnya ke GEREJA (well, it was Sunday evening...). ccck... cck... Salut juga.

So I watched Dhaffer Yousef (kewl intrumental and worldy music!) out of my curiousity, Renee Olstead and Ron King Big Band (she's quite famous here), Japanese quartet called Jammin Zeb feat. Andien (they are lovely.. I got the front seat and their CD - thanks to Andy), Tribute to Frank Sinatra performance (where Golda sang most of the songs), a glimpse of Bubi Chen (the show was almost over, anyway), and Omar Sosa (where we finally chilled out).

I also accidentally bumped into my senior in high school, Dewi, while we were trying to get some food... Finally! After every other people bumped into every other people. Golda bumped into her old workmates; Andy bumped into lots of people, esp girls he know. Haha, what can i say.. that's Andy.

Overall, the evening was nice. The crowd was nice.
Tot volgende concert! xoxo

Perjalanan pulang: mas jaket coklat

Home, at last!
Perjalanan pulang hari ini lumayan panjang. 2.5 jam baru sampe rumah dengan selamat (with few bruises tough...).

Ada cerita tentang perjalanan pulang hari ini. Tepatnya dimulai dari tempat nge-tem m24 di jalan salam. Penumpangnya memang lumayan malem ini, abangnya lagi laku.

Dan kemudian, muncul sosok ini... seorang pria dengan jaket coklat muda.. dan duduklah dirinya tepat di sampingku. Well, kita sebut saja dia si "mas" karena memang dia hanya seorang mas yang tidak dikenal. Tampangnya ok punya lah. Tapi rasanya semua orang tampangnya pas akan keliatan ok dalam sinar yang remang-remang.

Awalnya semua normal-normal aja. Lalu si abang sopir memutar lagu yang memacu suasana: Slank "Jakarta Pagi ini". Mobil pun mulai berjalan, orang2 di dalam mikrolet ikut bergerak ke kanan dan ke kiri, sedikit bersentuhan satu sama lain. Begitu pula lenganku dan si "mas".

Waaaah.. ternyata dia harum. Wanginya bukan wangi parfum nyong-nyong or parfum bajakan lainnya. Cukup wangi sabun habis mandi hihi.. seger menyenangkan. Entah bau wanginya si mas ini yang membius atau efek kepala kejedot (dengan keras) berkali-kali hari ini (hope my brain is not dislocated!) pikiranku jadi mulai melayang.... Melayang mengikuti lirik lagu Slank yang (in my opinion) sangat menenangkan.

"Pagi dingin, gak ada sinar mentari..."

Sejenak rasanya badan ini berada di salah satu gedung tinggi di Jakarta ketika hari masih pagi buta. Cakrawala baru beranjak bangun; jalanan masih lenggang; langit belum berwarna abu-abu termakan polusi dari knalpot bis-bis jalanan. (it is actually something i want to do; to enjoy the dusk of Jakarta)

Dan bau harum sabun mandi dari si "mas" ini menambah efek dinginnya pagi di gambaran yang ada setiap kali mata terpejam. Rasanya kembali raga ini bersama dengan orang-orang yang aku kenal. Sahabat-sahabat dari Jogja di mana kita sering nongkrong sampai pagi. Sahabat-sahabat di Belanda di mana kita sering ngobrol ngalor-ngidul sampai burung berkicau...

Adegan lengan bertemu lengan mengingatkan aku pada pelukan-pelukan sahabat dan orang yang aku sayangi. Mereka-mereka yang berada jauh, sesaat ada bersamaku di atas gedung itu, menikmati pagi di Jakarta.

Namun saatnya sudah tiba untuk bangun. Beranjak dari tempat duduk karena tujuanku sudah ada di depan mata. Ketukan pun kuberikan sebagai isyarat "bang, berhenti kiri depan ya". Saatnya juga berpisah dengan si "mas" jaket coklat muda.

Tapi tak apa. Toch lagunya slank juga pas berakhir.
Turunlah aku dari mikrolet.
eh, turun pula si "mas"... ternyata pemberhentian kita sama. Mungkin dia masih wangi baru mandi supaya masih segar ketika bertemu pujaan hati. Mau ngapel sih sepertinya.

Demikian pertemuan singkat dengan si "mas". Mungkin di lain kesempatan kita akan bertemu lagi, mungkin si "mas" memakai sabun dengan wangi berbeda, dan ada background lagu yang berbeda, yang akan membawa khayalan dari memori yang berbeda.

Pilkada 2007

Lagi rame2nya kampanye di Jakarta. Terlebih lagi di depan kantor.. well, sapa suruh kantornya di depan Tugu Proklamasi hehehe...

Jakarta memang lagi rame PILKADA! Ada dua calon kuat yang foto2nya merajalela di seantero Jakarta. Yang satu memajang Adang Daradjatun dan Dani Anwar (no.1) sedangkan satunya memajang foto Fauzi Bowo dan Prijanto (no.2). Honestly, all of these parade draw me back to my childhood memory of "topeng monyet" (-tidak ada maksud untuk menyamakan loh ya!). Di mana ada tabuhan genderang dan seruan2 lewat megaphone, di sanalah orang2 berkumpul untuk melihat dan sesekali menyerukan yell2 kebanggaan.

Siapa sih yang bakalan terpilih untuk menggantikan sutiyoso? Hay, it's not my decision to make. I myself will not be in Jakarta during the BIG 8 aka the election day.

I will be in Semarang, getting prepare for Indah's BIIIIG day. hehehe...

Veel success buat kalian2 yang ingin membenahi dan menyatukan segala keragaman yang ada di Jakarta! Semoga yang terbaiklah yang terpilih. God speed!

mo nginep di rumah bea

barusan di telpon ma yokko
yokko: eh eh.. kmu mau nginep di bea ndak? klo kmu ikut ya aku juga ikut.. soal'e kan isa barengan pergi'ne..
val: oh ya.. mau sie.. ntar aku nanya dulu ya. smoga ada boleh.. rencananya kapan?
yokko: hari jumat. widy'ne isa'ne hari jumat.
val: jumat ini? waaa... ntar de aku kabarin lagi!
yokko: yo wis. ntar klo boleh kasih tau aku biar tak bilang ke bea, soal'e de'e mo pergi beli makanan sek.

itu baru awalnya.
abis itu langsung bingung.

pertimbangan-pertimbangan:

1. blom tentu di ijin in sama mama papa :( hixhix.. orang pas mo nginep 2 minggu lalu aja ijinnya susah bgt!!!
   
2. klo nginepnya hari jumat kan berarti langsung dari tempat kerja. yokko mo nebeng sie (dasar!) tapi gimana nasibnya citra? dia kan ga tau rumahnya bea dimana.. tapi aku juga ga bisa lah balik kuningan>>kebonjeruk>>klp.gading... duenk jauh amat..
   
3. klo nginepnya hari sabtu.. berarti ga bisa ketemu wide and yokko. ga ketemu wide karena dianya bakal gereja minggu pagi, ga ketemu yokko soalnya dia males bgt pergi2 klo ga nebeng aku (dasar!). Lagian hari minggu kan ada latihan koor juga, walopun ga bisa nyanyi soalnya lagi batuk2 *uhuk uhuk*

Kesimpulan: klo ga jadi.. ya uds... kapan2 lagi de ketemunya hixhix...

harus gimana yah? bingung.
sebel bgt deh di jakarta ga bisa bebas pergi kemana2, tergantung transport ortu, naek angkot ga boleh (bikin item juga sie.. masih ga kuat sama polusi sie benernya *pyung pyung*). jadilah kaya orang bosen stengah mati di rumah. FUUUH...
any idea?

facing the reality

Djakarta. Placement udah jalan 3 minggu. Sekarang lagi lunch break... bawa makanan dari rumah. Seadanya laaah... nasi, tempe bacem, telor ceplok, and few pieces of chicken nugget. Maklum, Kuningan daerah mahal klo mo makan. Hemat2 dikit laaah. Masa udah segede gini masih minta duit mulu ma bonyok (cieeeeeeeee.... dewasa juga yah gue?). Harus bisa nabung duit transport yang di kasih ama perusahaan gue, Rp. 15.000, 00 per hari kerja. Lumayan lah... namanya juga internee (>>kata orang sini 'anak magang'<<) daripada ga sama sekali kaaaan. fuuuuh... Kompeni gue nie (kompeni... kaya penjajah aja, lagian kenapa pula ya belanda di bilang kompeni?) namanya Virtual Consulting. Check it out in: www.virtual.co.id hehehhe... setelah sekian lama n perjuangan mati2an akhirnya ada perusahaan yang mau 'menampung' gue selama 5 bulan huxhuxhux... ya.. benernya ada beberapa tawaran sie *tink2* ^^.. tapi berhubung Virtual ini perusahaan pertama yang sadar akan keberadaan gue (desperate bgt) jadilah gue kerja di sini :D

Sesuai dengan namanya... Virtual Consulting is a virtual company yang mainly deals with web2 gitu deeee. Pertama2 serasa ikutan project Virtual Consultancy pas period 7 duluuw heheheh. Asik deh di sini. Betah. Mainly because the working environtment nya. Serius tapi santai! or santai tapi serius yah?? Orang2nya baek2 n gokil2 en mau bgt ngajarin hal2 baru yang gue sama sekali blom ngerti. Blajar banyak deh di sini.

Tugas gue ngapain ya di sini? Kebanyakan sie bantu2in.. jadi web designer gitu de. Kemaren abis bikin logo, buat web layout, ikutan training/workshopnya. Nice. Kerja di sini bener2 bisa bikin gue (sejenak) melupakan masalah2 gue yang numpuk bgt...

uhm.... sapa tau ntar klo gue udah lulus boleh kerja di sini yah? it'll be great! hehehhe..

Back to work.