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.

My Travel Wishlist

Traveling is one of my passions.
I developed this certain passion since i was a little girl, used to travel with my nomad family across Indonesia. I said that i want to go abroad someday.. and got everybody laughed at me as a reply. Somehow, I managed to get a 'scholarship' and went to the Netherlands... where my world-wide adventure begun :)


So far, I have visited several countries (outside the Netherlands) - all using my own saving and salary :) Switzerland, Greece, a little bit of Germany, a little bit of Austria, a little bit of Belgium, France, Spain, Portugal, Czech Republic, Singapore, and Australia.

This year, I have plan to go on a budget travel (kapan sih engga hahaha) to Vietnam and Thailand.

But don't see me as an Indonesia-hater. On the contrary, I love every culture carved in perfection in Indonesia. I would love to spend months of traveling across Indonesia, drink in all the stunning view, know every local languages, master every traditional songs and dances.. However, traveling inside Indonesia cost a fortune! The plane ticket is freaking expensive... and one can not really depend on transportation. The journey that was supposed to be one-month journey can extend to 3-or-4month journey. So far, I have been to 4 out of 5 main islands in Indonesia. The only places left untouched is Papua. I have to go there someday :)

If i do have the time, the money, the luck, and the strength...
I want to go to:
I shall skip the places i have visited, even though i do want to go there again. ..

*Japan!
Going to Japan is my living dream! I want to live there and breathe the air in the country of the rising sun! I can only wish I was born a Japanese >.<

*Russia: Moscow
Russia and Japan trip will be the most expensive trip offered in any travel agencies (at least in Indonesia), I don't know why. Personally, I am amazed on how big the country is, how marvelous the architectures are, and.. I love Anastasia.

*Argentina
Recently, i have a growing passion of visiting Argentina. In my imagination, Argentina appear to be a little different from the all-hectic all-summery all-bikinis Brazil. With the blue blue sky and beautiful mountains. If i am not mistaken, Argentinan speaks Portuguese instead of Spanish. I'm gonna love Argentina more because it is the birthplace of Tango!

*Italy: Rome, Venice, Cicily, Vatican
I missed out Italy when I was having a road trip back in Europe. The exotic handsome men... with brown eyes and brown hair... the scent of salty water... the beautiful architecture... the intertwined love and religion... all in one.

*Morocco
The Mediterranean-African breeze tingles my ears every time i think about Morocco.

*Turkey: Istanbul
The sound of the belly dancing music follows you every step of the way. The smoke of Shisha and the indulging smell of Turkish kebab and falafel will keep me there and drown me.

*Greece: Santorini (again), Crete, and other cities in the main island.
Greece is one of my favourite countries. It is not because of it's white and blue houses (because white and blue are not my colours), it is because of the myths within. Yes, I fancy astrology, I fancy Greek Gods & Goddesses. My superstitious soul comes from my Greek DNA hehe..

*Spain: Seville, Canary islands, Granada
I love Spain! I can see my self living in Madrid, walking around in the city, loving life. I have only been to Madrid and Barcelona during a road trip with my girlfriends back in 2006. Going back to Spain again, visit more places, drink more sangria, eat more paella, and maybe fall in love... aww, what a dream...

*Egypt
The cosmic of those giant pyramids makes me wonder if i can sit at the top of one of its sphinxes and eat my lunch - just like that scene on Jumper hahaha

*Norway & Finland
The Scandinavian islands! I imagine chilly wind blows every now and then, making me wish i never went the first place. But i guess it will cool to wear furry winter jacket most of the time. Also, i want to see the place where several of my classmates come from.

*Germany: Berlin
Next to Holland, but I never really got the time (or money) to travel to Berlin. Yes, I am lame :P

*UK: London
I mean, c'mon... Europe without the all hectic, weather-crazy, English men with strong British accent London? I want to hop on to the double-decker bus, ride on the cute taxi, and be preppy. Maybe, i will see Hogwarts too - sprinkle myself with a little bit of Harry Potter's magic dust, disappear under his cloak. Pfff... why is UK so expensive?

*Ireland: Dublin
The home of Irish pub for a change. I will be dizzy trying to figure out what the people are talking. Or yet, maybe i will be fluently talking English with Irish accent!

*Africa
The thrill of safari in Africa fills the head of every real traveler, that is my belief. The extreme heat, the wild life, and the drumbeat of local people dancing with their colourful dresses... Gosh! Why does travel to Africa can be so expensive?

*Fiji
It is like being in the middle of nowhere, literally! Surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, disappear from the map of the world for a while. That will be a "WoW" experience.

*Thailand: Bangkok etc
Thailand will be the closest exotic destination in Asia. I imagine living around people talking in funny Thai accent :) like some of my Thai friends in Holland. Plus, i love love love Thai food!

*Vietnam & Laos
Next to Thailand, there are Vietnam and Laos. I don't really know what to expect in those to countries. Need to have more researches! Well.. I'll be going to Thailand & Vietnam this year! yay!

*USA: NYC & Hawaii
US is not listed in my travel preferences. Well, but i do want to see Hawaii. Me and my tanned skin will blend easily with local people of Hawaii. Another city i want to see is New York - and pretend to be one of SATC girls! :p

*Tibet
I think it's a wonderful place. Although i am not sure i will be able to climb. I'm no climber :P

*Brazil: Rio de Janeiro, Iguazu Falls, Sao Paulo
South America is a destination to go! I am mostly attracted to the infamous Iguazu Falls, located in the border of Brazil and Argentina. How to get there? When to get there? Pfff.. Have no idea!

*Israel: Bethlehem
This is more like a pilgrimage. I have been to Lourdes and Fatima. So i need to complete the journey and go to Israel, too.

...
But wait! Who says Indonesia is not on the list? It will take a year or more to travel and explore and unveal the ultimate beauty of Indonesia - both its marvelous plaves and exotic culture.


So, here's my "Travel Indonesia" wish list!

*Aceh: Danau Laut Tawar, Sabang
Never been to Aceh, dan ingin sekali.

*Sumatera Utara: Berastagi, Sipisopiso, Pulau Nias
North Sumatra is one of my heritage. My "kampung" is in Pematang Siantar, several hours away from the capital city, Medan.

*Bangka Belitung: Pulau Belitung
I have only been to Pulau Bangka and went to Parai Beach. Pulau Belitung is a smaller main island located in the west side of Pulau Bangka.

*Jakarta: Pulau Pramuka, Kep. Seribu
The nearest, most doable spot to go.

*Jawa Barat & Banten: Sawarna, Bayah, Karang Bolong, Ujung Kulon
I started to explore west java with my friends from 2008. At first, it was always be Ujung Genteng (gorgegous and advendturous place), then Bogor, then Sukabumi. There are many more places i still want to explore in west java :)

*Jawa Tengah: Dieng, Karimun Jawa islands
I always focussed my journey to Jogjakarta and never really to the highlands of central java. That should be lovely too.

*Jawa Timur: Mount Bromo, Malang, Pulau Madura
People said that East Java's landscape is the most beautiful in Java. I am curious indeed. Especially when my friends start talking about their journey in Bromo, about how the stars fill the dark sky like diamonds as your feet touch the warm sands.

*Bali: Lovina
There's so much about Bali than just Kuta. I mean, Kuta is for teenagers and Bali first-timers. Out of several towns in Bali, I love Ubud the most. But that's probably because I have never been to Lovina and indulge another side of Bali.

*Sulawesi Utara: Manado, Bunaken
The only place i've ever visited in Sulawesi is Makassar, the capital city of Sulawesi Selatan. I was only 15 and knew nothing about the art of traveling. My old friends from Ambon are also living in Manado. I should pay them a visit and enjoy the underwater scenery of Bunaken :) Hopefully that by the time i get there, I already know how to dive!

*NTB: Gili islands, Lombok
I've been wanting to go to Lombok for quite sometime now.

*Papua Barat: Raja Ampat islands
I have lived in Maluku for 6 years, yet I have never travel to Papua. Well, I was still a tween back then... I only travel to the big cities. However, I always envied my father for getting the chances to travel in Eastern part of Indonesia. Yes, i want to go to Papua and blend with the nature!

*Kalimantan, Borneo cross-over
Going through the thick tropical wood in Kalimantan is the ultimate experience! Then cruising with the local boat through its rivers. Challenging, huh? The woods and the mountains are not really my thing. But hey, who knows?

*Sulawesi Selatan: Toraja
Several of my high school friends come from Toraja. They are very proud of where they came from, and recommend people to go there... I only know that Toraja has an unique culture, and one of the must-go-see places in Indonesia.

*GOING NUTS!*

2009 highlights... and many more

January... burning me.

• Skin was still very very dark from my trip from Bali and Uge. and I was still eager to burn myself even more. Ok, what happen in Uge stays in Uge haha..
• Watching Diana Krall's concert with Goldie was lovely indeed.
  

February... What Valentine?

• I met Zee for the very first time (in Burger King Thamrin - after waiting for around two hours!), and got myself a new best friend in a blink :)
• Love life was so low, esp on Valentine's day. But Chikha gave me Starbucks' chocolate cupcake topped with colourful hearts. nyam! *Update: I suddenly remember that on last year's Valentine's day - i got myself a free dvd player hahaha
  
• Putri and Dave came to town! wonderful dinner and hilarious talks and meaningful eye-glances were involved hahaha
  
• Got myself an outrageous decision to visit Australia with my baby B. Too bad, i missed meeting Lina since she was in Indo (argh!!!!). Melbourne was just another Jakarta for me; loved Sydney for it's somehow-similarity with Madrid; Goldcoast theme parks and the stay-up-all-night-since-we-wanted-to-save-money-for-hostel night under the stars was extremely tiring yet remarkable.
• However, i missed Zee's bday :( - and i missed meeting Alex :p
  

March. Crashing Aussie and every other places.

• Still wondering around Australia for several days. Coldplay superb concert in Melbourne was also one of the reasons why i went to Aussie. Details! Missed my Mom's bday too :( but i managed to give her some nice souvenirs from Aussie :)
• Involved myself in another spontaneous getaway plan. No, actually Chikha was the devil - in a good way (?) for not letting me be miserable and regretful in the future. Thank you girl!
• Came to a weeding in Bogor with the girls, and spent a nice eve at Kedai Kita :) I did crash several weddings now and then hahaha
• Skipped the Java Jazz Festival this year. no urge. no urge.

April. Long live the Queen!

• Friend's wedding was coming up in 2 weeks. Chikha and I agreed to help and make ourselves Wedding Organizer duo :P - a very challenging project it was.
• The shocking news about the killing attempt of the queen of Holland was almost ruining the big reception at Ritz-Carlton. almost. however, a reception without Mr. E was not as fun :(

i guess i still miss some points here....
when was our trip to Kebun Raya Bogor and Museum Gajah? Zee.. Ari... help :S

May. all my friends be merry and gay.

• Sneaking around and got bitten by mosquitoes before surprising Ari on her bday at Kafe Pisa :) i got licked too... i think it was Ari. or Zee? hmm..... *Update: ARI licked me!
  
• and on the same day, I got very busy with the wedding! it's was successful and almost everybody was happy. at least i was. i got to sing and to bring lots of good food home hahaha
• It's a 3days 2nights with my girls (and boys) in Singapore :) while half of us team was crazed with shopping and pre-wedding-ing, Ari, Zee, and I was busy over-torturing ourselves by walking around to experience another side of Singapore.. temples and markets. So we have experienced metro-tour, walking-tour, and car-tour (with great thanks to Sham).
• Sukabumi with Chikha and Ruben :) for the weekend - a culinary trip indeed!! I took pleasure of every flavour tingled in mouth, and gain weight in an instant. uhm 3kg in 2days? that's hilarious.
• My old and dear friend from Ambon came and we spent some hours all together. Gosh, I haven't seen Natalia in 10 years!
  
• Dominik and Lilith came to Indo for holiday. a week in Jakarta, another week in Bali. the whole group reunited in Jakarta for few days. Odd moments risen, as well as old flames. and of course, in the end, we all get burned.

June... i stay alone.

• Another month alone at the office. Lame.....
  

July be my birthday :)

• More wedding crashing! and off to the Public which was apparently going to be closed the day after.
• My birthday was around the corner and i didn't really mind about not having surprise party. It is written that my bday is forgettable. Yet, my beloved friends caught me off guard. I was very very touched T.T with the cake and the kisses. I had a fun weekend - a home-cooked meal of tempe and sambal, and Harry Potter at Blitz.
  
• However... my bday was not complete because Ari was not around T.T and B almost (arrrrgggggh!!!!) missed my bday.

and i miss some stuff happened in July. I mean was my July really that lame? xD
did i cut my long long hair and missed it instantly in July?

August comes too soon

• Supposedly, i went to Java Rockin Land. but i went to...
• Jogjakarta. This time it's to commemorate 1000 (Javanese) days of my father's pass. I also took the time to go around Jogjakarta with my dear friend Beni, went to Solo to Ardy-Nita's reception, and visited some tourist attractions with my mom and sister. That was fun :)
• I saw Ardy&Nita again in Jakarta for our small gathering with dear friends from Amsterdam. The event that was suppose to be just us 10.. turned out to be just us 20 people hahaha..
• Ujung Genteng (again) with my beloved girls (and boys). a trip without scandal, at last hahaha..
• Shhh.. and a daring ride with Ari! Super thumbs up for her super bravery riding motorbike on super high-risk tracks with high-risk weather. Near-death-experiences to the max! totally advanced!

September to remember!!

• People lined up to get Visa on September! with a great luck, i managed to get mine one day prior to my departure.
• So, i boosted myself by buying iPod Nano (purple) and filled its 16GB space with songs, songs, and songs. At last, i fulfill one of my personal wishes.
• and yes, I went to Holland! For office stuffs. I called it my Selligent trip. At first, i really couldn't believe that it's real. even after i stepped my feet on Holland's busy Schipol airport. It's like coming home after years of longing :) Another personal wish fulfilled.
  
• Reminiscing the good old days, hanging out with my good old friends, eating falafel and lays chips and hero onbijtvrucht, doing nothing and be happy about it, loving the cold weather, and indulging myself in bra-shopping ;)
• Fons has been very wonderful to me :) we had Spanish dinner at that little place in Zeedijk. He even gave me a gorgeous shirt + tank top as my farewell present.
  
• Got away to Prague for a nice weekend getaway with baby C. Praag is Prachtig! If i do have the time and the money, i really wanna to go to Czech Republic again.. and spend some more days wandering in Prague's streets.. maybe even go to other fascinating Eastern European countries. and maybe i'll finally have the gut to try the excrutiatingly herb-sy taste of Becherovka.
  
• Missed Ika's wedding - several days after i went back to Indo.
• I learned what "cinta mati/cinta gila/cinta buta" means. To be loved so deeply can be beautiful and deadly at the same time...
  

October quite a battle

• Even though the bachelorette party was canceled... (my condolences for Alex), my diet was a scam (there's no way i can be thinner in a week hahaha) but at least we did managed to gave Lala & Jose a kinky gift for their marriage!! and we managed to come in our silver "armour", doing all the crazy things at the reception. Uhm.. I suddenly wanna see the video.
  
• Office work, updating database and preparing for the upcoming campaign!
• Niels is here :D and he's my date to Soulnation! Musiq Soulchild's performance was *speechless* the thing that i look forward the most for the last couple of months. Too bad, Estelle was not performing.
• caught myself in a very awkward situation, and survived ;)
• I met Kaysan (Dory's big baby boy) for the very first time and got entertained the whole time. He's such an adorable kid. Poking his petite mommy all the time.

November black and blue

• Bali was scheduled for the weekend ;) I finally met gorgeous Radha for the very first time and fell in love instantly! Also there for her mommy, my dear Sita - haven't met her for almost 5 years! and she is still a stunning woman.
• uhm.. also got a glimpse of Indah's belly, the soon to be mom, and tried out almost every flavour of her up and rising business Gelato Secret's in Ubud. Next time, I want apple&cinammon as well as tomato&basil for my gelato! I mean, u can not say not to good stuff ;)
• Again. I'm working alone for another month.
• Crazed up with the IDR 0 (not joking!) seats from AirAsia. Successfully secured seats for my upcoming trip to Vietnam and Bangkok - will do a duo travelers with Ms. Ari.
• Kalimantan trip was also on the agenda. I went back and forth to Sampit, Palangkaraya, and Banjarmasin. Got extremely exhausted from the trip, but happy. I got to meet new networks, radio partners, best friend, best friends' mothers, and my family/cousins too. Add some extra bling in Martapura.. i couldn't ask for more.
• Alfons was in Indo for almost two weeks, but we passed each other's schedule every time :(
  
• A Samirono reunion. at last! It was only 15 girls that came that day (including Chikha), but it was nice and cozy :)
  

December razzle and dazzle!

• Extremely busy with the marketing campaign i've been involved with for the company. do this, initiate that, translate this, explain that. Hectic to the max, but enjoyable. I'll say i am a work addict hahaha
• However, playing around was still on the list. A jolly picnic session (under the rain) with best friends was the perfect medicine to cure my tired mind.
• Ika was in Jakarta for sev days to prep her reception next year. We stole a little of her most precious time to meet up and catch up with each other :)
• Another session with Radha (she's thinner!), with Robert this time. Baby Radha remembers me!

So what did I have for Christmas?
I had a low and silent Christmas. Also a bit down since my B and my girls were not around.
It started with 3-4hours of heavy heart wake-up call (implicitly and explicitly). It got better after a fancy brunch with my American friends at Social House. and it ended with a small visit from my relatives. Nevertheless, I really believe that i received a wonderful Christmas present this year.

And how about New Year's Eve?
New Year's Eve (NYE) was a blast! My agenda started quite early in the afternoon, good coffee and good conversation with our network at Kedai Kopi Phoenam, a nice coffee place in Wahid Hasyim area. They served delicious roti kaya and coffee from Sulawesi. Later on, I had another fancy Italian dinner (i mean, u need to spoil urself from time to time hahaha) with enjoyable companions at PEPeNERO and mingled around till the count down!

Overall, i can only see my life in 2009 in HIGHLIGHTS.
because that is exactly what we human need to do.
to see everything in bright light.
to embrace every blessing.
to walk every path with good will and positive thoughts.
and everything that we human can't understand, let it be...
the answers will come to us eventually :)

12 days in Holland :) - Part 3

... read part 2
... or start from part 1

Tuesday Sept 22
I woke up lazily on Tuesday. I sat with Pooh in living room, doing nothing, and i loved it! After a while, I packed a my bag, got myself into the shower, and headed to Amsterdam. Finally, I got to see Citra's office hehehe and the people working there since I temporarily put my bag in there.

The weather was quite ok for Amsterdam that day. It was already afternoon so i rushed myself to Nieuwendijk to grab some souvenir and also some stuffs for my self - the ever so tempting bras at Hunkemoller! hehehehe that was quite a shopping.

Dinner at Tokyo Cafe [in Spui 15] with friends was next on the agenda. There was Dominik and Lilith (yay, it's great to see them again!), Citra and Edwin, Ardy and Anita, Neysa and Komar (another newlywed hehe), and my dear Yuli :) Although the service was poor that night, we managed to stay happy by exchanging stories with each other.

Good will, unsteady hand hehe

I went to Den Haag to sleepover at Citra's place - i knew that she's gonna kill me if i don't. At Den Haag station, I got a chance to meet Fonzie, too. Yeah, Yuli and Fonzie are such a cool couple - gotta love them together. A bus ride, a late night tea, some CD burning attempts, and we're all crashed into our beds.

Wednesday Sept 23
Another lazy morning...
I pulled myself up since I wanted to go rummaging Dominik's place in Utrecht. Yes darling, I traveled from one city to another, from a friend's house to another :) No shopping, only crashing.
Got a little stumbled upon Citra's funny locking front door since I forgot to bring Rina's liquor from Prague - gonna see her in Utrecht for dinner. Fortunately, Citra's neighbour was at home. My wild guess was he was confused of this crazy girl in front of Citra's front door, grumbling. She might be a thief! But then again, the neighbour showed me the "trick" with the front door lock something with a little left (or right) and upward (or downward) push on the door xD Lol... No, I could not remember!

the dude and the big white couch! plus the new TV set :P

Seeing Dominik in his crib was also an good thing. Aha! So there's the big white couch he was talking about. The fancy TV-set... and the work/play station :P it's all good, man! Only one thing that i didn't like at all: the toilet! It's too small (even for me!) and it took 10-15 minutes to reload the water in the toilet. The people inventing this place was a maniac.

Anyway, we spent the afternoon watching "Horton hears a who" on the new fancy TV :P with me munching roombotter appletaart from AH supermarket *oh, my mouth's watering* Lilith was sick that day, so she was resting in bed most of the time.

Too bad that Dom and Lilith couldn't join for dinner by the canal. Utrecht has an area where most of the restaurants are located downright next to the canal, underneath the shopping area. I had a chilly, cozy, and lovely Italian dinner with Rina, Ruudie, Niels, and Citra. My pizza was so huge, I couldn't finish it T.T sorry dear pizza...

I spent the night at Citra's place again - my last vacation night. hux...

Thursday Sept 24
It just slap me in the face. Holiday's almost over.
With my last strength of happiness, I packed my stuff and went to Amsterdam. Had lunch of patat oorlog en kipkorn with Citra's - and David, too hehe.. a funny guy. I strolled around the neighbourhood to buy some authentic cheese (with pesto and italian spices) and for some window shopping.

Kecap was going to pick me up in Sloterdijk station so that we can get my suitcase I left in Haarlem. He showed up with his work outfit - suit and tie and all, handsome indeed. I think all boys look good when they pull out their suit :)

Some packing and some shower, and I was ready to go. Haha.. not really tho.
Alfons, Ika, Vina, Citra, and Niels were also there in the sirport to say good bye. Lucas also came up unexpectedly hehe..

My suitcase was overweight :P Yeah sure, with all those souvenirs and foods i brought along!
Another funny thing (!) was when I was almost (almost) didn't get a seat on the plane since the flight was overbooked! I was actually happy to know that so then i might had a chance to stay for another night and then able to watch Jose James concert with Cit and Niels. Lol :P

But they got me a seat after all *sigh*
So i said goodbye to my all of beloved, thanking them for their hospitality during my short stay.

Cherioo Amsterdam. Gonna see you again, soon!
*keeping my hope high* :)

More pics on facebook!!

12 days in Holland :) - Part 2

... read Part 1

Saturday-Monday Sept 19-21

Weekend getaway to PRAGUE!

Prague is one of the place I have been dreaming to go! Since i got the chance, then I should go and pursue my dream :P

I went to Prague with Citra. She took care of the flights and the hotel. I guess this is my first time having an unplanned trip abroad. There's gotta be a first time in everything...

Our flight to Prague was a long one, because we got to transit at Charles de Gaulle, Paris. Pfff... I disliked that airport. Got us carrying our stuff from one terminal to another in the most confusing way! Plus, I was already sickened from the extremely awful flight/ride from Amsterdam. As if I'm in the bus instead of a plane! Seriously!

We arrived in Prague at 5 pm something (19/09). The airport was not so fancy, considering the facts that Prague is one of the greatest places in the world - I am now convinced that Schiphol Amsterdam is one of the top-notch airports in the world. After exchanging money to Czech currency (CZK) and buying ourselves bus tickets to get to the city, I figured that Czech do not really speak English. Time to put body-language into practice haha..

The hotel was nowhere to be found, at first. The local people were not helping too.. Yihaa, that's what happen if didn't do any research before my trip xD After running around for blocks with exhaustion, I finally figured out the street names and found ourselves standing in front of the hotel... which was only about 100 meters from the metro station Anděl. Dang!

We indulged ourselves in good (and very affordable) food by Zlatý Klas (Plzeňská 9 Anděl), a Czech restaurant located in the neighbourhood. Mushroom risotto with cream, broccoli and Parmesan cheese by the price of 99 CZK was my order. I indulged my eyes with all the handsome men all around me. What a lovely sight! A small club called Jet Set (Radlická 1C-1D, Anděl) nearby the restaurant was our next stop. It was only 11pm and we didn't think that we needed to end our first night in Prague just yet. So we dropped by and order Lolita - vodka, pisang ambon, orgeat syrop, lemon, and pineapple juice - for Citra, and Orgasmus - vodka, kahlua, baileys, amaretto, cream - for me. The taste? It's orgasmic!

We started the day (20/09) - not too early - walking by the riverside towards Karlův most (Charles Bridge). The weather was certainly nicer than in Holland. Too bad the Charles bridge was under construction :( so i didn't get the full "Prague-in video-clips" effect, especially with European tourists flooding the place for weekend getaway, too. The church next to Charles bridge was holding a weeding ceremony - I had a sneak peek and got to see the long weeding dress and white decorations. We continued our walk to the Staroměstské náměstí (Old Town Square) and witnessed the infamous beyond imagination Astronomical clock with its 24-hour scale, sun, moon, and zodiac ring. What a ingenious beauty!

*a week afterward, i watch Ne-Yo's most recent video-clip "Part of the List" and stupidly think "hey, i think i've seen this place before... it's familiar". A google search later... "Doh! it's Prague!"

Since I was totally confused of the street names (all over again) and also small passages we found every now and then, we just went wherever our feet took us. We did urge ourselves to go to the Pražský Hrad (Prague Castle) complex, located on a hill quite near the city center.

St. Vitus Cathedral was huge and awesome, as well as its surrounding area. As soon as we saw another bride-groom, we realized that we were in a good date: 20-09-2009 :) awwww.. makes me wanna go and just marry someone a.s.a.p (big LOL)

The warmth of the sun really got us in the lazy mood, especially since our feet was already heavy from walking up to the hill. However, we did manage to stroll around the castle, took pictures, and flirted with Czech's castle guard. Hahaha.. i loved the way his eyes followed me around without moving his head whatsoever. We walked down passing the Svatováclavská vinice (St. Wenceslas´ Vineyard) on east part of the castle.

The day slowly crawled into night. We were in Národní area when suddenly our stomach growled. So we walked to Citra's colleague recommendation: U Fleků (Křemencova 11, Praha) brewery and restaurant. It's one of the oldest beer house/restaurant in Prague - when i browsed through the website it is said that the place have been brewing beer for 500 years, dates back to 1499! We sat in Velký sál (The Big Lounge), accompanied with Czech music (which sounded like German's), and Czech big meal for the night. The waiter did offer bok beer and Becherovka as apperitiv, but i said no. Becherovka is Czech original traditional liquer made from herbs and spices; most people do not really enjoy the "medicine-like" taste.

Prague is also the center of jazz and classical music. Those who loves these kinds of music will not get bored in this city since there are always music performances and concerts every single day (Yes! every single day). One of the great place to watch such performance is in Reduta Jazz Club (Národní 20, Prague). Reduta is one of the oldest jazz club in Prague. The place is quite small for a famous jazz place. Oldskol taste, oldskol place. The walls were filled with black and white photographs of famous jazz/blues musician of the world. The tables and chairs were not arranged in an unusual shapes, the bar was somewhere down the hall - one have to get the drinks oneself. That night, from 21.00 till 22.00 something, we watched the performance of Bartas Band - a blues local band from Prague.

The next day (21/09), we went to Vyšehrad, a castle located on a hill over the Vltava river, by trem this time - too tired of walking! But somehow, we still need to walk up the steep hill. After some turns, I saw this huge "fortress" made of big old bricks. The yellow autumn leaves was already decorating the path on the castle complex. Situated within the castle is the Basilica of St Peter & St Paul, as well as the Vyšehrad cemetery. Local legend holds that Vyšehrad was the location of the first settlement which would later become Prague.

Praag is Prachtig!
Prague is beautiful ~*

more prague pics on facebook :)

Continue to Part 3...

12 days in Holland :) - Part 1

Saturday Sept 12
It's 5.20 am GMT+1. The plane landed 30minutes earlier than scheduled. After 16-hours flight with KLM, with a short transit in Kuala Lumpur, i finally set my foot on Schiphol airport. It felt very nice to be in Holland again after almost 3 years away. Haha... i said it like i am originally living in Holland xD

Somehow, i felt sad to hear "mind your step" ~* audio warning placed on those fast tracks. My student days were gone, along with many great memories attached to it... as if i come "home" to "nothing". But when i saw Niels and Citra in the arrival hall to come pick me up, i was delighted all over again.

After putting my stuff in de Baronie bed & breakfast - and added a little rest to that - we went straight to Rotterdam ;) sitting on the car, looking at the A4 highway... was so soothing. A good way of refreshing my aching body from the journey. Walking around in Rotterdam was fun - since i was acting as a tourist ;) visiting the kubuswoningen and the market, taking all kinds of pictures. Outrageous eating habit occur when we bought cheese (combined with olives, dry tomatos, and garlic) and kipbeling (salty fried fish), knowing that we just ate Burger King just an hour ago. I'm sorry, I can't help it! hahaha We closed the deal drinking coffee in Hotel New York. I loooooove the place :)

Citra's house in Den Haag was our next stop! She cooked a HUGE portion of mie ayam and forced me to finish it all and then ate Edwin's apple pie as dessert. I was incredibly full, up to the neck!

Niels dropped Citra n I back in Amsterdam so that we could meet up with our high school friends. Yes, apparently i have several high school friends living in Amsterdam area. We went to ESCAPE and dancing our feet off until 4 am. On the way back, I realized that I hadn't been sleeping for almost 26 hours :p

not so girls night out hehe

Sunday Sept 13
The original plan was to go to Brussels for the day. But suddenly i felt a little lazy, seeing how the clumsy windy rainy weather outside. So we decided to go to Hermitage museum instead. It's a new Russian culture museum located in Nieuwe Herengracht (Waterlooplein) area. We spent about 3 hours there, awed by the gorgeous Tsarina/princess/duchess dresses displayed - alongside with other stuffs, too.

*TAPAS oh yeah!

Alfons was next on the agenda. We went to have dinner in this cute and cozy Spanish eat house in Zeedijk area (the red light district area). The paella was enormous and delicious, accompanied with assorted tapas (ham, black and green olives, sardines, and octopus - all covered in olive oil), and of course Sangria! Alfons was very kind to "trakteer" our dinner ;) For the dessert, we walked to the little Italian ice cream place in Nieuwmakt.

*the name of the eethuis is Centra. Located in Lange Niezel 29, Amsterdam.

Monday Sept 14
It fells funny to go through an old routine: take a train to Hilversum Noord station, and then walk for about 10-15 minutes towards the office. Got a little distracted by the new round about placed along the way. The building stays the same, they're renovating and repainting it i suppose - looking at those high constructed poles surrounding it. Very pleased to see my M&M colleagues. At last, i got to put the faces to the names! The hall to the cafeteria looks the same. Although they replaced the old coffee machines to a more fancy ones ;) My dear wiener melange coffee still have the same taste...

After one introduction day at the office, i went back to Amsterdam to grab Maoz Falafel and its open salad bar :D my stomach was filled with all different kinds of food that day hahahaha

FALAFEL - my favourite :D

Tuesday Sept 15
The weather was quite clumsy- with extra wind blower i guess. After spending another day at the office, i went to Hilversum to drink some coffee in Hilversum with Rina and Prita. Then I hurried back to Amsterdam to meet Ika and to watch Inglorious Bastards at Pathe Tuchinski :p gyahahahaha... *trying to make some people jealous here* Using my Pathe unlimited card [yes, i still have it!] we gain access to the theater.

Lol, got my self dizzy during the movie - with the front row seat [the zaal was packed!], a giant screen, a movie spoken in German-France-and-little-English and dutch subtitle >.<' ROFL and no Dominik by my side to translate into proper English. Gotta watch the movie again in Indo!

Wednesday Sept 16
Late today! -.-'
Gotta go to ABN Diemen to manage my frozen account. Gosh! the procedure was so annoying, good thing that the guy was cute. An ease to my eyes :P hope everything's alright with my money.

I managed to take some reminiscing pictures too of my old student flat. De Kiezel, where we all met, became family and lovers and friends for life :) "Whatever happens in Kiezel, stays in Kiezel" Quite right, since the building will be destroyed and rebuild into some new fancy thing soon.

Our beloved Diemen and Diemerplein - full of memories

The train to Hilversum was vertraging (Eng: delayed) for 15 minutes already from Amsterdam. On the way to Hilversum, the train suddenly stop again for about 15-20 minutes at Naarden Bussum station. The train trip, which was supposedly only 30mins max, became a-60mins-trip! Ha, NS clearly stands for Nooit Stipt (Eng: never punctual). Imagine running trains in Indonesia hahaha...

After a training and "enlightenment" session of Selligent, my colleagues and I went to a Japanese restaurant at Hilversum. The name's Kimono - a teppanyaki, not a sushi place. We had a great time up till 10 pm when everybody seemed to be exhausted already. I discover Michele's great feet [compared to mine] and great appetite! Really want to have a second round of Japanese onbeperekt (Eng: unlimited) with Rina and Michele at Osaka :)

M&M colleagues

I went back to Utrecht that night, sleep-over at Rina's crib. On the bus from Utrecht Centraal to Rina's place, I accidentally met April Liping! I still recognize her short hair. It's so funny because we didn't get the chance to meet when she was in Jakarta the previous week. What a coincidence!

Rina's crib? Lovely! The red wall, filled with snapshots of her and Ruudie, the cozy super big Indonesian style sofa, the music instruments all over the place, the colourful posters and accessories. After a midnite chat session with Rina and Ruudie, I slept peacefully at Thijs' overflowing-with-toys room. Hope i can provide a room like that for my baby hehe

Thursday Sept 17

Bazar with my darlings

Had another great dinner today, with friends :) Ardy, Anita, Barry, Vina, Llyod, Ika, Shaula, Citra, Niels, and me. The place, BAZAR, is a Mediterranean restaurant located in Albert Cuypstraat 182. The Mediterranean atmosphere goes all through the 2-storey restaurant, with the enchanting scent from the Arabic/Moroccan/Greek/Mediterranean food presented in a huge and unraveling portion. The price was very reasonable too, around 10-15 Euro per dish ;)
*ok, writing this part makes me hungry... i need to stop*

see... this is how good the food presented. this one's Bizarre Bazar!

Friday Sept 18
It's the last day at the office. Had a free lunch with Indonesian afdeling and spent my last working hours practicing my new Selligent knowledge. Silly thing happened afterward!

Supposedly, I got to catch the train on 17.45 to Amsterdam - then meet Kecap at my B&B - then meet Citra - then go to Haarlem.

But when i was going to step out of the office, Michel and Niels told me not to. The train (esp. to Amsterdam) was out of service for an hour, maybe more... since "something" happened in Naarden Bussum station. We had a tip that it might be suicide! o_O So i called Kecap to postpone. But since he's a very kind person [and maybe out of activity :P], he picked me up at the office! Thanks a lot. Whoa, girls... don't you all agree that we need more gentleman like him in this world?

Since we're not able to catch Citra in Haarlem anyway, we had dinner at this Italian place called Vapiano, Oosterdokskade 145, nearby OBA-Openbaare Bibliotheek Amsterdam (Eng: public library). I enjoyed it very much! The place is a pasta-pizza bar, similar to Marche in Jakarta.

Each customer got a card, they can go around the place, decide which kind of Italian food they want - pasta, pizza, etc - which will be cooked before their eyes, swipe the card, eat and laugh and be happy, then pay in the cashier afterward. My cook was a tall, blond, white South-African lad, with a very strong British accent. He presented my Fussili Pesto met Garnalen en Spinazie beautifully. Gosh, it's yummy! Again, thank you :)

With extra full belly, we went to the B&B to take my suitcase. I have already said goodbye to Tuhami, the nice B&B owner in the morning, so i just dropped off my keys in the kitchen.

His apartment was very much of the boys' den. I was so happy to meet my darling friends - Bouvi, Pooh, Binsar, and Rhein. They're practicing some great music composed/arranged by Aras for their special show. After smoking pot session, i just sat back and enjoyed the friendly "student-like" atmosphere in the room. The big difference is that they're all working now :) yes, that is the thing i miss the most...

two of the boys :)

more pics on facebook *__*

Continue to Part 2 ...

Apply Visa? gampang-gampang pusing!

Mau ke luar kota? tinggal jalan!
Mau ke luar negeri? tinggal jalan!
Eits! Tunggu dulu. Orang Indonesia gak bisa seenak jidat mau lenggang kaki di negara lain, Bung! Ada aturannya...

Kudu pake VISA!
Buset apaan tuh?
Beginilah bentuknya kira-kira...

Contoh Visa Schengen - untuk Eropa

Kalau kamu pergi dengan tour-tour tertentu (misalkan: Paket Jelajah Eropa 20 hari-20 malam) sih tidak masalah. Cukup bayar sekali, berikan dokumen yang diperlukan ke travel agency... sisanya mereka yang akan urus.

tapi kalau harus urus sendiri... kira-kira beginilah step2nya!

Contoh: applikasi visa Schengen ke Eropa.
Entry point: The Netherlands (Belanda)
-- Info-info ini banyak diambil dari websitenya kedutaan.

1. Buat janji dengan kedutaan

Waktu buka loket: Senin - Jumat dari pkl. 09.00 - 12.00.
Sebelum mengajukan permohonan visa anda HARUS membuat janji terlebih dahulu lewat telpon atau e-mail. Tanpa janji, permohonan visa pada dasarnya tidak dapat ditangani.
Ajukan permohonan visa jauh hari sebelumnya! Permohonan visa dapat diajukan maksimal 3 bulan sebelum tanggal keberangkatan. Sehubungan dengan waktu memproses visa, pembuatan janji harus dilakukan PALING LAMBAT 2 minggu sebelum tanggal keberangkatan, kalau tidak maka visa Schengen tidak dapat diberikan tepat pada waktunya.

Sehubungan dengan banyaknya permohonan yang masuk kedatangan Anda hanya dapat diterima setelah ada janji melalui telepon 021-5271904 dengan menyebutkan nama, nomor telepon dan nomor paspor. Permohonan harus disampaikan oleh yang bersangkutan sendiri, permohonan yang disampaikan melalui pihak ketiga atau melalui jasa pos tidak akan ditangani.

Jika mencari informasi silakan hubungi 021-5248200 pada hari Senin s/d Kamis pada pukul 13.00-15.00 dan pada hari Jum’at pada pukul 12.00-13.30.

Instruksi Schengen menentukan bahwa semua permohonan visa dari pemegang paspor Indonesia harus dikonsultasikan dengan semua ibukota negara Schengen yang berjumlah 24. Karena itulah visa paling cepat dapat diberikan setelah 10 hari kerja, terhitung dari tanggal permohonan diajukan. Permohonan yang diajukan melalui Konsulat atau Petugas Konsuler tentu agak lebih lama karena harus dikirimkan ke Jakarta. Namun keuntungannya adalah bahwa Anda tidak perlu dua kali datang ke Jakarta.

Contoh kasus:
Saya baru menelpon kedutaan untuk visa application appointment pada tgl 19 Agustus dikarenakan ketidakpastian tanggal keberangkatan. Setelah saya mengetahui tanggal keberangkatan saya adalah 11 September, barulah saya membuat janji. Awalnya, kedutaan memberi saya slot untuk tanggal 31 Agustus (mepet sekali!)... namun akhirnya saya bisa dimasukkan ke slot tgl 27 Agustus. Apabila lancar dan visa disetujui, diharapkan visa akan dapat diambil tgl 10 September, which is very close to my departure date! A little crazy xD

2. Lengkapi dokumen

Dokumen-dokumen yang diperlukan: (BANYAK LOH!)
* Pas foto ukuran 4x6, berwarna (1)
* Fotokopi akta kelahiran (1)
* Fotokopi kartu keluarga (1)
* Fotokopi KTP (1)
* Fotokopi kartu pelajar atau kartu mahasiswa (1) - apabila seorang student
* Surat keterangan bekerja dari perusahaan - apabila seorang pegawai
Dokumen-dokumen tersebut merupakan bukti bahwa kamu benar WNI yang sah.
* Paspor yang berlaku setidaknya 6 bulan + fotokopi (1)
Apabila memiliki paspor sebelumnya yang menyatakan bahwa kamu pernah mengunjungi negara yang akan memberikan visa, berikan saja. Plus fotokopinya.
* Print-out booking return tiket dari travel agency (perjalanan tidak lebih dari 3 bulan)
Ini sebagai tanda bahwa kamu sudah dijamin akan kembali ke Indonesia setelah masa visa berakhir.
* Bukti booking hotel di negara tujuan
Ini sebagai tanda bahwa kamu sudah memiliki akomodasi di negara tujuan.
* Fotokopi buku bank selama 3 bulan terakhir (1). Sebaiknya kamu setidaknya memiliki "cukup" uang di buku bank tersebut...
Ini sebagai bukti bahwa kamu bisa makan dan hidup, gak bakalan luntang-lantung dan menjadi imigran gelap di negara tujuan!
* Bukti asuransi perjalanan dan kecelakaan untuk wilayah Schengen. Polis asuransi harus kamu tunjukkan pada saat pengambilan visa.

Selain itu, ada juga dokumen yang harus diisi di kedutaan/konsuler:
* formulir permohonan visa, diisi dengan lengkap dan ditandatangani oleh pemohon.
* jadwal perjalanan (Lembar Perjalanan), diisi lengkap dan ditandatangani oleh pemohon.
* Surat pernyataan (telah menyetujui persyaratan) diisi dengan lengkap dan ditandatangani.

Dokumen-dokumen tambahan!!
untuk kunjungan pribadi:
* (jika menginap di rumah orang) undangan dimana tanda tangan pihak yang mengundang dilegalisasi oleh pemerintah kota madya (gemeente);
* (jika menginap di hotel) booking hotel yang telah dikonfirmasi dan/atau bukti lunas pembayaran hotel untuk seluruh periode;
* (jika menggunakan sponsor di Negeri Belanda) pernyataan jaminan dari sponsor (formulir dapat diperoleh di Balai Kota) dan bukti keuangan mencukupi dari sponsor (kopi slip gaji dan/atau statement bank yang mencantumkan gaji). Pernyataan jaminan hanya berlaku dalam 3 bulan sejak dikeluarkan dan harus dilegalisasi oleh pemerintah kota madya (gemeente) tempat tinggal pihak yang mengundang. N.B. Jika yang mengundang bukan warganegara Belanda kopi Surat Izin Tinggal juga harus dilampirkan.

untuk kunjungan bisnis:
* undangan dari perusahaan di Negeri Belanda;
* bukti adanya kontak bisnis;
* booking hotel yang telah dikonfirmasi dan/atau tanda lunas pembayaran hotel untuk seluruh periode kunjungan;
* profil perusahaan (perusahaan pihak pemohon);
* statement bank 3 bulan terakhir dari perusahaan pemohon.

untuk pengobatan:
* surat dari dokter yang menangani di Indonesia;
* surat dari dokter/rumah sakit yang menangani di Negeri Belanda;
* tanda bukti asuransi kesehatan atau tanda bukti pembayaran pengobatan.

Untuk anak di bawah umur...
Jika seorang anak di bawah umur mengadakan perjalanan sendiri atau dengan salah satu orang tuanya, maka perlu ada izin dari kedua orang tua c.q. salah satu orang tua (Bapak atau Ibu). Tanda tangan orang tua harus dilegalisir (legalisasi dapat dilakukan di kantor notaris. Tanda tangan di atas meterai Rp. 6.000 tidak diterima.)

3. Pembayaran
Harga visa: €60 atau 839,000 IDR
Mahal ya? Harga berbeda-beda, tergantung kebijakan negara tersebut.
Jika permohonan visa ditolak uang yang telah dibayarkan tidak akan dikembalikan.

4. Wait and see... Let's hope for the best! ;)


- - -
Wilayah Schengen!

Semua orang wajib visa yang ingin mengunjungi Wilayah Schengen untuk urusan bisnis atau urusan pribadi dapat mengajukan permohonan mendapatkan visa kunjungan singkat 1 - 90 hari yang berlaku bagi ke-24 negara anggota Schengen. Visa Schengen berlaku untuk negara-negara yang disebut di bawah ini:
* Austria * Belanda * Belgia * Ceko * Denmark * Estonia * Finlandia * Hungaria * Islandia
* Italia * Jerman * Latvia * Lituania * Luksemburg * Malta * Norwegia * Perancis
* Polandia * Portugal * Slovakia * Slovenia * Spanyol * Swedia * Yunani * Swiss