To The East We Go part 2

As any other normal men in this world, Reo packed very lightly. I was amazed because he managed to pack all of those things needed for 2 weeks trip into a middle size rucksack.

I, on the contrary required a 45 litre pack to squeeze the whatever itsies bitsies.  Yet, additionally,  I still have a tote bag containing maps, directions, wallets, glasses, and another pack of tripod. Now you can imagine how hassleful I was.

Reo and I took taxi from the airport to Bangsal harbour. I once read that sometimes getting a taxi in there can be risky because of the brokers. Blue Bird taxi does operate in Mataram, but unfortunately just like in Ngurah Rai airport Bali, they’re not permitted to enter the airport area.  So we can only use other taxi services which can be booked at a counter near the exit gate. They have a range of taxis, and you just pick which you want to hire. 

Back to the 90s (Music Video)

This song has one of the best reff part ever. 

Have a nice weekend all!

#1

"If memories could be canned, would they also have expiry dates? 
I hope they last for centuries." 

- Chungking Express-

Beige Chiffon, Silk and Roses (Music Video)

Fete In The Sky (Music Video)

To The East We Go part 1

I have to say that writing about my recent Nusa Tenggara trip has been one of the toughest thing to do. As soon as I arrived home, I was swamped with job-seeking activities, casual get-togethers, and swimming session. Those three packed my schedule tightly and dried me up during the month of April.

On early May, I received an email saying that my application was accepted, and I was expected to start working at the new office on the 15th. It was such a great news. I was so happy, I remember I couldn't stop smiling through out the day. 

It was after that, I found the time to write about the trip.

The journal I wrote might won't include details about itinerary and budget, so if you're interested on it, you could drop me an email.

So, without further ado, let's begin.

These Days part 3

When you're my age, your agenda is not only packed with weddings but also kids birthday party. 

Now this one is my bestfriend's daughter's birthday bash. The happy little girl is named Vinca, and this is her 1st birthday celebration :)

Pretty decoration

These Days part 2

Before I post the trip series, it would be nice if I post about things that occurred prior. 

As you might know, I went back for good on early March, and soon after, my days were filled with get-togethers. 

I enjoy it so much since I really miss my friends, and you know how good it feels surrounded by people that cares about you :)

Lunch with Fahra. This was 'makan bunuh' for sure!

Home At Last

Apologize for leaving this blog without update for quite sometimes, but I just got back home last Saturday.

Oui, I just had a marvelous 18 days trip to Bali, Lombok, The Gilis, Mataram, the small islands in between Lombok-Sumbawa-Flores, Komodo island, Rinca island, Labuan Bajo, and Surabaya.

Many things happened during the voyage. Changes of plan, including the highlight that my travel partner Reo, had to go home earlier, leaving me all alone for third quarter of the trip. I was nervous at first, because it was my first time traveling solo, but thank thank God everything turned out okay.

The trip itself was magnificent. I experienced many things which are beyond my expectation, I met so many wonderful people, and the view....was breathtaking.

Eastern part of Indonesia is blessed with beautiful landscape and pristine beaches, making me promised myself, that someday I'll be back to explore more of East Nusa Tenggara.

The place is so gorgeous. I mean as a sky fetish, it is impossible for me to resist when every morning, I wake up with a sky that is so beautiful, I thought I'm looking at a painting.  And in the afternoon, I was all flabbergasted seeing this pretty pretty orange color in the sky.
It's heaven for me.

Anyway, trip details will come in few next entries.
Until then,

Kissu kissu

These Days

Last week was tough and great at the same time.

I found it hard because it was the first week for me being in town after spending 9 months in Jayapura.  It takes a while to adapt with the time difference. 

I know that Eastern Indonesian Time (or WIT/Waktu Indonesia Timur) and Western Indonesian Time (WIB/Waktu Indonesia Barat) only bear 2 hours of difference, but  seriously for several days, I went to bed at 07.30pm WIB and woke up at 03.00am WIB -which equals to 09.30pm WIT and 05.00am WIT, my normal sleep span according to WIT-.

It was upsetting, but I’ve been trying to cope it by doing things or go out around that time, so my body would learn to handle few more hours of activity.

Mulia part 4 (Photos)

I guess one thing that should be grateful about being back home is the internet connection. 

It's fast and stable. And it's relatively cheap.

I can stream youtube whenever I want; I can download podcast and music album without having to wait till the midnight comes (because in Jayapura the speed is only reliable during midnight & dawn); I can enjoy vimeo (previously, I'm not a big fan of it because it streams damn slow in there); I can skype using video-call function without having a 'still' picture of your skype partner appears on the screen for minutes; I can torrent films which before was impossible, and I can upload photos swiftly without having to wait THAT long. 

Thus, being blessed with the abundant connection, I would feel rather crappy if I didn't start to upload photos from the recent months.

So here I present you, the photos of Mulia taken at my last trip there on November 2011. 

Relatives of my office's house owner from another village came to work and fix the foot path around the house. The man would smack large stones using hammer, then the women and kids would help to fetch the pieces and dispose them to the uncovered soils.

Wednesday (Photos)

I spent my morning trying to keep up with jogging and swimming habit I have started in Papua. 

It wasn't that difficult (yet), considering that I'm still unemployed thus my time is quite flexible. 

Then I skyped with my bestfriend Ito, who happened to be in a business trip to.... *guess where guess where guess where*..... United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar aka Tanzania! 

He's soooo lucky, because you know that not everybody have the chance to visit the country. He perhaps the only person I know who've been to Tanzania.

Later in the afternoon, I had dinner and splendid tea with miss Dindiepop, where we both brought surprises for eachother :)

Schweet.

The Bridge (Video)

It was one cold November day when the colleagues and I took a walk around Mulia and passed this bridge.

For me, it was a challenging experience: to keep myself balance, while carefully watching my steps on those missing planks and gaps, and holding a camera trying to document it all.

All of us walked slowly yet painstakingly, while the local kids in front of me -who probably have known the bridge as the back of their hands- walked calmly eventhough he was carrying water jugs. 

Bravo kids!

This Is Goodbye

How lucky I am to have things and experience moments that make goodbye so hard.

Thanks for having me, Tanah Papua.

Monday (Music Video)

Close your eyes and you'll be there

Where the mermaids sing as they comb their hair

Like a fountain of gold you can never grow old

Where dreams are made, your love parade

The Count Down

As always, I’ve been lazy lately that I haven’t got the mood to update this blog.

I’m so lazy to write the post, too lazy to pick the pictures and THAT lazy to resize them.

All I wanted to do was to spend the remaining time I have with my friends.

Oh. Didn’t I tell you that next Saturday, March the third, I’m going back for good to Jakarta?

Yap, in less than a week, I’m going home and when I woke up this morning, I realized that I haven’t done any preparation or so. I’ve got quite a lot of stuff in my room, and I haven’t started separating which to be handed down, packed in luggage and to be sent back by post.

I got panic, and my acute procrastination syndrome kicked in, that instead of running the errand , I decided to turn my laptop on and write a post about what’s happening lately.

Ok, so these past months have been the happiest moment in my life.

Papua New Guinea Anyone?

Since I first arrived in Jayapura, I’ve been wanting to visit the border of Papua New Guinea (PNG). The country somehow has always cast a mysterious charisma that allures me.

Not much people know about PNG, not much have been there too, so I promised my self that at least before I leave the island of  Papua, I must have set my feet upon PNG soil, eventhough only the border.

And last Sunday, I managed to go there. Thanks to my housemate, Pak Anton, who allowed his car to be brutally abused by the 9 of us.

Ahoy Dewaruci!

Two weeks ago, a friend told me that the famous Dewaruci ship has docked in Jayapura port. 

Dewaruci –named ofter the god of truth and courage in Indonesian mythology- was built in 1952 in Hamburg,Germany by HC Stulcken & Sohn Dockyard. It was first brought to Indonesia on January 24, 1953, and has become a training ship for young Indonesian naval cadets ever since.
Dewaruci has left its basecamp in Surabaya on January 18, 2012 to sail on its annual around-the-world mission. It stops at several ports, where in Jayapura, it was opened for public for 3 days.

Trying not to miss the chance, I went to see the vessel with my housemates. We went there on a sunny Saturday morning where we were completely blown off to see the size of the ship, which appeared not to be as big as we have imagined! Seriously man, we thought Dewaruci is a one giant ship that has a lot of rooms and a helipad, or at least as big as Gunung Dempo that serves Jayapura-Makassar route. But turned out it’s a mid-sized ship! Auww! Penonton tertampar oleh realita.

Saturday

By next month, I won’t be hearing ships honking their horns three times in the middle of the night

I won’t be seeing betel nut husks scattered on the pedestrian road any longer

I won’t be spending my afternoon swimming in the pool by Youtefa Bay

I won’t be breathing the fresh air and having summer breeze touches my skin.

By next month, I’ll be on the plane that takes me back home to Jakarta.

And God knows how hard it is to face the truth.

Friday (Music Video)