My Own Happiness Project

My Own Happiness Project
because happiness begins inside and flows out...

20080504

travelogue: day 3 - the hunt for luwak_part i......

On the third day, I was set to hunt for a rare and expensive coffee called the luwak coffee. I've been reading about luwak (luak) coffee prior to this, and now that I've come to the only place where it's found, it has to be one of my most important missions, to get some back home. After a failed search yesterday, I got myself better informed of where to find it, and set my journey to the west... actually, north... of Jakarta, to find it.

While on the way, I took some more pictures.

This is another form of public transport in Jakarta, the Ojek. Actually it's a fast ride on a motorcycle, helmet optional. Riding on an Ojek is cheaper than Bajay, around Rp3,000 per trip as compared to Rp5,000 for Bajay.

The 3-star hotel I stayed in. Actually traveling alone would be expensive if one stays at a place like this...

There are many military posts like this scattered around the city. This one is right across the street I'm staying at. Unlike military posts back home, these over here are less guarded, and the armies look more relaxed than those back home.

Jalur Jaksa, the street lined with backpacker-lodges from end to end. At night, this place would be livelier with drunked bules and sex workers. Bule is the word they use for what we call Mat Salleh back home.

The Internet terminal from outside.

Indonesian youngsters going to school.

This ghostly motive is found all over Jakarta - called leak, or djins. Later in Jogja I would get myself a tattoo with this image.

Fried spring chicken. Tempting but seeing the way it's prepared, I think I'll stick to restaurants.

I had some satay for lunch. The difference between their satay and ours, is that they prepare it only after your order, the seasonings and all. I had some mutton satay, don't think we have that commonly back home.

And the other difference is that the sticks are thick bamboo splinters instead of thin ones familiar to us.

You'd see many groups like this around, young and old, playing music and singing away. Apparently karaoke here is expensive, and they're practising to serenade you while you eat, or stuck in jam perhaps?

20080503

travelogue: day 2- jalan-jalan jakarta.......

Since my computer sorts the pictures according to the date they were taken, some of the pictures from the first day spilled over to the second day. To give due credit to all the performers, I've put up the rest of the late performers. The show ended at about 12am local time, but my camera date already showed 0100 am.

The Starbucks partners behind the counter.

This is where I update my blog from everyday. The place is a tad bit run down with connection super slow, but beggars can't be choosers...

Reconstruction under progress

There are many of these warung / pondok selling food all along the road. When you're hungry you don't care much about the black exhaust from the traffic.

One of the most readily available form of public transport in Jakarta - the Bajay

There was a demonstration at the HI Roundabout in the middle of Central Jakarta, and I managed to snap some pictures of the procession. The people were chanting "Revolusi! Revolusi! Revolusi sampai maju!"

Another paparazi like me...

Plaza Indonesia is like the KLCC of Jakarta.

Came back in the evening to have early dinner at a warong near my hotel. Had masakan Padang, which is generally more spicy than the rest of Indonesian traditional cuisines.

I had a bit of everything: rendang sapi, ayam bakar, cumi goreng, pecel, and some boiled leafy vege to be had with sambal.

Indonesians love iced sweet tea and this brand is their favourite, Teh Botol Sosro.

As I don't usually bring my camera out at night, I didn't take pictures from the second jazz performance I went to in South Jakarta.

random juke: satu yang pasti......

I had the opportunity to take picture with Jakarta's celebrities, Beben Jazz and his wife Carolina (of the pop group Dewi-Dewi)...

arteo, carolina, beben

SATU YANG PASTI
Beben Jazz

Ada satu lagu
Jika kuputar selalu ingat kamu
Lagu itu tentang kita
Karna selalu ingatkan sesuatu

Kisah di antara kita berdua
Saat indah sulit s'lalu bergulir
Ikuti irama kehidupan
Yang s'lalu tak pernah pasti

Hanya ada satu yang pasti
Lagu ini s'lalu ingatkanmu
Hanya ada satu yang pasti
Aku masih cinta padamu

DOWNLOAD SATU YANG PASTI HERE
mp3 / 2.6Mb / 3:37 / 96kbps

travelogue: day 1_kl to jakarta......

Hard to believe that the much awaited day was finally there, after months of planning what to do, months of reading about Indonesia and months of euphoria on the adventure of traveling alone, I was actually feeling a tinge of reluctance to leave that morning. Don't know why... The thrill of waiting was much more exciting.

The LCCT-KL. I was expected to check in 2 hours before departure for International Flight. By 0730am the airport ws already full.

Had Coffee Bean's breakfast set. It was actually either the breakfast at McD or CBTL, and since both serve crap breakfast and bottomless coffee for almost the same price, I'd rather have crap breakfast and GOOD bottomless coffee. By the way, the service here at LCCT-KL Coffee Bean sucked big time. And the bread was so.... hmm... I expected crap breakfast anyway...

The flight was delayed for about 1 1/2 hrs.

Arrived Jakarta at about 1240pm, after a 2 hrs flight. There is a 1 hr time difference between KL and Jakarta so I gained 1 hour here.

Came out of the airport straight into the Jakarta jam. The taxi ride from the airport to Central Jakarta is Rp170,000. I asked to be sent to the area surrounding Jalan Jaksa - the favourite place for tourists and budget travelers.

Trying my paparazi skill. Took a shot of this guy selling roasted peanuts in the middle of the traffic jam. There's also people who'd bring a small guitar and sing you a serenade right in the middle of the jam for a couple of silver coins.

The view from my hotel room. Stayed in a 3-star hotel called The Paragon Hotel, for Rp310,000 a night.

The streets of Jakarta.

My first meal in Jakarta was at this place called Ayam Goreng Ibu Suharti. Is this the local vesion of KFC, featuring a wanita-tua-senyum-senyum mascot instead of lelaki-tua-senyum2 of KFC?

Not exactly a fast-food restaurant, this place offers fried chicken rice, pecel (a kind of picked vege salad) and coconut drink with gula jawa. The set meal comes with a slice of anemic watermelon.

After that I went around the shopping mall next to the restaurant, and was really impressed by the selections of Jazz CDs available. I was told that it's like this all over Indonesia, and that they have great appreciation for Jazz music. Why can't Malaysia be like this...

I was told about a gig going to be held at a nearby Starbucks, so I went back for a shower and out again to catch the show.

The performance that night was by Beben Jazz's group, and they did their up-beat interpretation of my request for O'er the Rainbow. Beben is the one on guitar with his hair pulled back.

Ended my first day in Jakarta tired but happy. Glad to have had a jazzfull first day. I knew I was going to love it there.

20080502

travelogue: indonesia......

Can't wait to edit all the pics and put up my travelogue of Indonesia (vain oh kan) do wait till I come back home... as for a teaser of good things to come, this is a picture I took just after touchdown... and this is not the much-talked-about Jakarta jam yet...

random juke: dewata......

I now have a new favorite jazzist / guitarist: Tohpati. If you've not heard of him, or his playing style, get a sample of his masterpiece below.

Dewata features a fusion of traditional Indonesian musical instrument and vocals, all cleverly blended by jazz guitar.

If it weren't for copyright law I'd put up all his songs here... anyway, if you like it (I'm sure you will) just go and get the original CD: Tohpati, It's Time. Sony BMG Indonesia. This is Tohpati's 3rd album.

DOWNLOAD DEWATA HERE NOW
mp3 / 3.6Mb / 5:02 / 96kbps

random juke: senandung rindu.....

While browsing the music store, this song in Tohpati's album It's Time caught my attention...

SENANDUNG RINDU
Tohpati feat. Putu Sutha

Aku bernyanyi di dalam hati
Senandung rindu... kepadamu... pujaanku
Bilakah nanti kau kan mengerti
Maksud hatiku untuk saling memiliki

Aku ingin... rasa indahkan hadir untukku
Meluluhkan mimpi-mimpi
Tak berhenti jiwa ini menanti dirimu
Berjanji setia padamu dalam setiap detikku

Tuhan tolonglah... buka hatinya
Agar kudapat... bahagia bersamanya
Tak kuingkari dia tak sendiri
Tapi ku tau apa yang t'lah dia rasakan

20080501

home at last...

or not quite, yet...

reporting from KL - 0211am at Tony's place
30 APRIL, Solo --> KL
  1. bought a bag to replace my expired one from Grand Mall Solo
  2. got one last CD before coming back to Malaysia - making total CDs in collection now... about 15 I think...
  3. took a taxi to Solo Airport - another word in BM not used in Indonesia-- lapangan terbang. Just say airport -- and make sure the "r" sound in "air" is audible...
  4. Plane took off 1/2 early at about 0600pm Indonesian time
  5. reached KL about 0800pm but had to turn FF to 0900pm
  6. cleared immigration and at the luggage claim area at 0920pm
  7. waited till 1005pm before the bags started coming out - a big fat WELCOME BACK TO MALAYSIA, AND THIS IS MALAYSIAN TIME!!! reality just hit me on the head...
  8. took the shuttle bus to KL - RM9
  9. Reached KL at about 1140pm, called Tony and went for dinner -- too cheapo to buy AirAsia cuisine...
  10. just downloaded the pics, took about more than 800pics and deleted some, left with only about 620++
  11. waitlah after I photox some of the pics then I'll upload them here okay...
Thanks for following my trip in Indonesia!