~ Life in Indonesia ~

Singing Karaoke

noreply@blogger.com (Fitri) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 05:51:00 +0000

Karaoke is a popular pastime in Asia, and Indonesia is no exception. Unlike the Karaoke bars in western movies where a person would sing in front of the bar's audience, in Indonesia, when you are asked to go karaoke-ing, this would mean going to an establishment where you will be singing in private rooms with your friends.

So, less embarrassing for us mediocre singers ;)

My favorite karaoke place is Inul Vizta.
It is owned by Inul Daratista, a famous Indonesian dangdut singer. Inul Vizta has many outlets spread across Jakarta, so it is easy to find one near you. But the main reason I like it is because it has a broad song selection and it quickly adds new/recent songs.
The room ranges from small ones for 4 persons to large rooms that can fit over 30 people.

Other popular karaoke places are Happy Puppy and NAV Karaoke.

Small note, karaoke places can often refer to "gentlemen's bars". To distinguish, the word "Family" karaoke is added to point out that this is a hangout place, the conventional way ;)

Go wild! It's just amongst your friends :)

Discounts on the Net

noreply@blogger.com (Fitri) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:44:00 +0000

Do you agree or disagree: It never hurts to be thrifty :)

If you agree, you may want to check out this website: http://www.livingsocial.co.id

This used to be a site called DealKeren, however it has change management I guess. This site offers discounts for mainly restaurants but there are also offers related to well-being and travel.

I have used it a couple of times and it worked out well. Just a tip though, you really need to think before buying. It is easy to be tempted to buy things you don't need or more vouchers than you actually need.

There are other similar sites as well. However I haven't tried them out yet: http://www.evoucher.co.id
http://www.ogahrugi.com
http://www.diskonheboh.com
http://www.diskontop.com
http://www.akupluskamu.com

And this site is dedicated to travel offers: http://www.valadoo.com

Spend wisely!

Happy New Year 2012!

noreply@blogger.com (Fitri) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 03:37:00 +0000

I fell in love with this quote when I read it a few days ago. Suddenly I was aware of the possibilities I haven't tried. This may also have to do with my current situation, where I have been given the chance to just take a break from my current career and re-evaluate my life. It is literally a NEW YEAR for me!

I know I have neglected this blog quite a bit duing 2011, but hopefully in 2012 I will have more time to write. Actually, I've started another blog as well but in Indonesian and it will be mainly about my experience living & travelling to places outside of Indonesia (so the opposite of this blog).

Btw, do you know that in Indonesia, we celebrate a few New Years?
- of course there is 1 January
- and then we have another new year celebration not long after: Chinese New Year
Chinese New Years is based on a lunar calendar, so every year it differs. This year, Chinese New Years will be celebrated on Jan 23rd. It will be a public holiday on that day. And since it falls on a Monday this year, that means: Long Weekend (21-23 Jan). Expect ticket prices to go crazy :)
- Islamic New Year: The Islamic calendar also follows the lunar cycle. This year it will fall on Nov 15th.

A friend of mine makes a habit every New Years to mark her calender for all the upcoming holidays. This is so that she can plan her trips. Maybe you would want to do the same as well? Here's a list of Indonesia's public holidays in 2012: http://www.indonesia.travel/en/news/detail/593/-indonesia-2012-public-holidays

Come on...let's flip a page ;)

Tanah Lot

noreply@blogger.com (Fitri) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 16:15:00 +0000

Besides beaches, Hindu temples come to mind when talking about Bali. There are many temples in Bali since by customary law, a village must have at least 3 temples (temple in Indonesian = Pura).

One of the more popular temples is Pura Tanah Lot. This temple is perched on a rock. When high tide, the temple looks as if it is "floating" in the middle of the sea.

When I came here, it was still low tide, thus we could walk until the bottom of the rock. Before reaching the rock though, there's a cave where you can see a snake which is believed to be holy. Once reaching the bottom of the rock, there is another cave with streaming water also said to be holy. You can receive blessings here for a small donation.

Besides its unique location, this temple is also flocked by tourists because it offers a stunning view during sunset.

During High tide (Pic source: http://m.wikitravel.org/en/Bali)

During Low tide

Tanjung Benoa

noreply@blogger.com (Fitri) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 15:08:00 +0000

When I was still living abroad because of my father's assignment in various countries, Bali was more famous than Indonesia. And I think this is still the case. Most people have heard of Bali as a beautiful holiday destination. While Indonesia is known as the chaotic country ;)

Anywayss....In my opinion, Bali is a perfect holiday destination. You have beaches and mountains, creative cultural art and city party scenes...anyone can find something to his/her liking. Whether you are young, old, traveling alone, with family... Bali has something to offer you :)

Although it is a small island, there are many points of interest. On my last trip, I went to one of the newer tourist places: Tanjung Benoa.

Tanjung Benoa lies near to Nusa Dua (a famous beach & resort area). The main reason people go to Tanjung Benoa is for the various water sport activities that they can do. The more popular ones are: jet skiing, banana boat rides, parasailing and snorkeling. There are a few operators to choose from, so it would be best to look around and choose the one you are comfortable with.

For those who are not keen on getting wet, usually the operators offer you the chance to go on a boat trip to a nearby area called "Turtle Island", which is named because there is a Turtle farm there. Since I wanted to avoid the hassle of having to change clothes, when I went to Tanjung Benoa, I only went on the boat trip to Turtle Island. Here, not only do you see turtles of all sizes, you can also take a picture with it, as well as other creatures such as an iguana and a snake.

However, there is one activity that I'm quite curious about but didn't have the chance to do: Seawalker. Here you are geared up so that you walk on the bottom of the sea! Well..maybe next time..

Europe on Screen 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Fitri) — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 05:56:00 +0000

A nice alternative to spend your leisure time: Europe on Screen 2011

This event will take place in Yogya, Bandung, Jakarta, Bali, Aceh, Surabaya and Semarang.
Tickets are free (yippee!) but you still need to get a hand on one, which you can do 45 minutes before the movie starts.

I'm already eyeing on a Czech film Vrchní, prchni! Hope I get the chance to see it!

"Rahmat" International Museum & Wildlife Gallery

noreply@blogger.com (Fitri) — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 08:52:00 +0000

Address: Jl. S.Parman No.309, Medan
http://www.rahmatgallery.com/

I found this place very interesting and I would definitely recommend you to go here when visiting Medan. This museum showcases preserved wildlife animals such as elephants, bears, orangutans, deers etc. The skin, teeth and nails of all the animals showcased are real. It is owned by Rahmat Shah, a successful business man and professional hunter. Some of the animals are hunted by Rahmat himself.

At first, I was a bit apprehensive seeing all the animals in the museum (there are many!). However then one of the staffs explained that only a small portion of the museum's collection is from his hunting trips. And when hunted, it is based on conservation regulations: only hunt animals with large populations, or ones that are old. She continued explaining that most of the animals at the museum died in zoos, or were donated or purchased legally.

The museum consists of 2 floors and is divided into sections depending on the species. Nearing the end of the trail, it did get a bit weird with trophies of his sons & daughter on display which had nothing to do with wildlife conservation (?!?!). But overall, hats off to his dedication in keeping this museum up and running!

Entrance fee is Rp. 25,000 for adults.

Medan

noreply@blogger.com (Fitri) — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 07:20:00 +0000

Medan is the capital city of the North Sumatra province. There are a few landmarks that are the must sees of the city.

1. Istana Maimun (Maimun Palace)
Address: Jl. Brigjen Katamso, Medan

This palace was built by the Deli Sultanate which used to rule over Medan. It's yellow facade makes it easy to spot from afar but unfortunately, the last time I went there in 2008, the palace looked quite neglected upon closer look.

Maimun Palace ca. 1890-1905

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:COLLECTIE_TROPENMUSEUM_Het_paleis_van_de_Sultan_van_Deli_te_Medan._TMnr_60001583.jpg

Maimun Palace 2008

2. Mesjid Raya (Grand Mosque)
The mosque's name is actually Al-Mashun mosque, but it is better known as Mesjid Raya. It lies not far away from Maimun Palace. This mosque is still actively used until today however, again I saw signs of "insufficient funds" :(

I skipped these landmarks during my trip to Medan this year. Instead, I went on "safari" :) Will blog about it in the next couple of days....

Pulang Kampung

noreply@blogger.com (Fitri) — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 11:24:00 +0000

Busy busy busy...that's my excuse for neglecting this blog. June-July was a HECTIC period at the office as usual, because it were the months leading up to the Ramadan (the Islamic fasting month - many clients commissioned product testing projects which needed to finish before the Ramadan started).

Each year, the Ramadan period differs because it follows the Islamic calendar which is based on the moon cycle. It usually moves backwards by about 10 days. This year, the Ramadan was from late July - late August. So next year, it would probably be from mid July - mid August.

We then celebrate the end of the Ramadan with a Muslim holiday: Idul Fitri (Eid ul-Fitr in english).
In Indonesia, the official holiday lasts for 2 days but then in recent years, the government imposed a "joint holiday" a few days before and after the official Idul Fitri holiday.

This year, the calendar marked Idul Fitri to fall on a Tuesday & Wednesday. But...Monday, Thursday & Friday was announced as a joint holiday which means that we had the entire week off! Actually, the joint holidays are taken off of your annual leave so actually it is not something "free".

In Indonesia, the Idul Fitri holidays are like Christmas-New Year holidays. People go back to their hometowns to celebrate it with the extended family. We call it: pulang kampung (literal translation: go back to hometown). During this period, travel fare skyrockets, if not sold-out.

If you want to see Jakarta a bit less crowded, then this is also the time :) However, restaurants are very crowded because of course all the help has gone pulang kampung. Ahhh...Jakartans :P Quick side note: there are stories that some families even stay at hotels because they don't want to be bothered with all the chores!

Because my grandparents are no longer alive, usually my family and I don't go back to our hometown for Idul Fitri. But this year, we did. So I have a couple of posts coming up ahead to make up for all the time I haven't written anything :) Stay tuned...

Typical: Traffic jam because everybody is on their way pulang kampung
Source: http://images.kompas.com/photos/view/71008#photos/view/71008

Art in Malls

noreply@blogger.com (Fitri) — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 14:28:00 +0000

Many art pieces are now showcased in malls. I personally quite like it since many of them are very interesting. Going to the mall is one of urban Indonesian's favorite pastime, so I guess it makes sense to have art pieces smack in the middle of it...I mean, if they don't come to you, you should come to them, right? Maybe museums should start doing something like this too to gain more interest from the public?

Photo from: http://indah-ariani.blogspot.com/2009/11/bila-batas-makin-mencair.html -
Art at Pacific Place

Taken at Grand Indonesia

I find this piece of a "melting" Borobudur very beautiful. And I bet this took quite some time to make!

Taken at Gandaria City

These window shutters are put together to form a wall which leads to a space displaying antique wooden tables. I love the colours...

Solar Energy baby..!

noreply@blogger.com (Fitri) — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 05:03:00 +0000

Just a quick post before I head off to see a movie at the French Film Festival (yup, it's that time of the year again...how quickly time goes by).

Yesterday, I was quite surprised to see this ad in Kompas.

Now this is more like it. Nuclear energy for Indonesia? OMG...I can just imagine the disaster in that!!

With the abundance of sunshine (unless the polluted air of Jakarta is blocking its path), solar energy is the way to go. Learning from the past, I hope PLN plans this programme thoroughly & then execute it accordingly...otherwise it will be just another great idea that goes down the drain :(

Chocolates-Flipflops-Noodles

noreply@blogger.com (Fitri) — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 07:55:00 +0000

Like in any country, Indonesia has several local brands that are synonymous with certain products. Here are a few Indonesian brands which I loveee...

1. Chocolates

Ok, please don't compare our chocolates to Belgian ones. But still, there are two Indonesian brands that I love: Silver Queen and Beng-beng. These brands have been in Indonesia since I was a child (in the age where malls were still scarce in Jakarta and I still often see rainbows after a pleasant rainfall).

Silver Queen is a chocolate-nut product. You can choose from several nut types with cashew nut being my favorite (I think this was also the first one they produced). For a long time, it was associated with its flat rectangular shape, but now they have a new variant that is "chunky". Even though I have been a long time fan, but I never paid attention to who produces this product. And surprisingly, they don't have a website?

Beng-beng is a chocolate wafer bar. While Silver Queen cashew nut hasn't changed its flavour (according to my tastebuds), I think Beng-beng has had some product development done. But still, a value for money product, it won't hurt you to try it! It is produced by Mayora, one of Indonesia's biggest FMCG companies.

2. Flip-flops

"Quick, I need some flip-flops!". Just head to your nearby warung & and for just Rp. 9,000 you can purchase some Swallow sandals. They're cheap, easily available, and considering the price, quite comfortable and sturdy. Nowadays, the brand also produces a more stylish line (which is of course a bit more costly). What else could you want from a pair of flip-flops?

3. Instant Noodles

Why I can't live without it: the smell... when someone is cooking instant noodles is so tempting; and then of course the ~~MSG~~ taste...even though noodles are essentially tasteless (?), marketers have come up with a variety of ~~chemical~~ flavours.

Why I can't live with it: it is not nutritious and not good for your health. Of course, some people may not agree with this, even the effects of MSG is still debatable. But the fact is, if I go to a doctor when having digestion problems, somewhere during his examination he would ask whether I have been eating lots of instant noodles lately. *word has it that your stomach needs 5 days to digest the noodles*

Anyways, all the controversy aside, Indomie is the market leader in Indonesia. Actually, the brand has become a generic name for instant noodles. The company that produces it is Indofood which is also one of the biggest companies in Indonesia. Word has it that Indomie is exported to many African countries as well and is quite popular there too.

DuFan

noreply@blogger.com (Fitri) — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 15:04:00 +0000

As usual, the end of the year is a hectic period at my office thus my absence from this blog. Things have now slowed down though, which means...after working hard, it's time to play hard! Starting with the office's family gathering event to DuFan.

Dunia Fantasi a.k.a DuFan is an amusement park in Jakarta. It is part of Taman Impian Jaya Ancol (or just "Ancol" for short), a resort destination in north Jakarta which houses a number of attractions among others SeaWorld and Atlantis Water Adventures. Its large area is often used to host events such as Java Rockin' Land (an annual rock festival).

DuFan has the typical rides such as the merry-go-round, ferris wheel and roller coaster.

For a guide on the rides, I found this blog post quite useful. (Note though that since it was written in 2009, it hasn't included DuFan's newest ride: Hysteria). Please check it out: Guide to Dunia Fantasi

Since I don't have a strong stomach, I only went on the "easy" rides and avoided the challenging ones such as the Tornado where you are twist and turned while dangling in the air.

Tornado Photo by Garnieri (http://www.flickr.com/photos/28420232@N05/3384662353/)

Even a few of the boys looked sick after going on it

But I was intrigued with Hysteria after seeing it didn't involve any spinning around, just a few "freefalls". So...I gathered the courage and went on it and well...words can't explain, you need to try it yourself ;)

Hysteria Photo by Nadiloo

Obama's visit to Indonesia

noreply@blogger.com (Fitri) — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 09:07:00 +0000

I've always found the hype surrounding Obama a bit silly. Ok, he lived in Indonesia when he was little, so.....?

But last Tuesday, while sitting in traffic and feeling disappointed that El Shinta (a radio station known for its traffic reports) has hold of its reports in order to broadcast live the joint press conference of Obama & SBY, I suddenly got a mellow feeling when hearing Obama speak his first words: Terima kasih. Selamat Sore....
The next day, when he delivered his speech at University of Indonesia, hearing him say things like "Pulang kampung nih", brought a big smile to my face.

So does this mean I have joined the Obama craze? Hmm...not exactly. Watching him mention about his memories of Indonesia was actually like when I meet a foreigner and hear him talk favorably about his time when vacationing in Indonesia. It's just this feeling that we have something in common, a feeling that "Hey, my country has brought joy to someone's day"...

But all this aside, I was impressed with the speech Obama delivered. When was the last time any of our officials mentioned about Bhinneka Tunggal Ika and used it in such a motivational way?

Anyways, I wanted to share a few photos of Obama's visit to the University of Indonesia. My sister, who is a reporter, got an invitation to attend the event. She sat in the second row so got quite decent pictures (she actually bought a new camera because of this :) ).

While Obama is smiling & shaking hands with his "fans", his bodyguard looks kind of stressed out :)

Former president B.J. Habibie was among those who attended the event. So nice to see him smile, he lost his wife a couple of months ago

Look at the crowd, trying to take photos. Around 7000 people were present

Thanks Sis for the pics!

Indonesia Pavilion won bronze at World Expo 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Fitri) — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 07:00:00 +0000

I found this good news amidst all the updates on Mount Merapi: Indonesia's pavilion at the World Expo Shanghai China 2010 won a bronze award for the Creative Display Category (group A).

This news made me wonder how the pavilion actually looked like and after searching extensively, I found these pics:

http://en.expo2010.cn/c/en_gj_zgfc_low_tpl_37.htm?id=11

- Unlike other pavilions, the Indonesian pavilion had an open-concept. It was designed by the architect Budi Lim and used many natural elements such as bamboo and wood for the walls and flooring. The theme was "Bio Diverse City", which reflects the 3 main areas of the pavilion: "Bio" zone features the country’s abundant natural resources, "Diverse" zone displays the diversity of Indonesian culture and the "City" zone. The pavilion was 4 storeys high. As you walk along, the path would go higher and higher and eventually descending.

How it looks from the Ground
(Pic from: http://ardyhadi.wordpress.com/2010/06/07/intip-pavilion-indonesia-yuk/)

How it looks from Above

(Pic from: http://shanghai.cultural-china.com/html/Latest-news-on-World-Expo/201005/06-5649.html)

- A big map of Indonesia was put near the entrance. I think this was a great idea. Let's face it, many people don't know where Indonesia is!

(Pic from: http://desy.posterous.com/indonesia-in-shanghai-expo)

- The bio zone featured a SeaWorld-like tunnel

(Pic from: http://iyagihaja.pumitabusan.com/2010/07/shanghai-trip-35-3rd-day-indonesian.html)

- Borobudur was (as usual) one of the attractions promoted. It seems there was a huge wall carved with its reliefs so that visitors get an idea of how the Borobudur looks like, and they also made a replica of the stupa. Please see Iya's blog for more interesting pics on this and others.

(Pic from: http://ardyhadi.wordpress.com/2010/06/07/intip-pavilion-indonesia-yuk/)

(Pic on the left: http://expo2010shanghai.com/national-pavilions/indonesia-pavilion/)
(Pic on the right: http://iyagihaja.pumitabusan.com/2010/07/shanghai-trip-35-3rd-day-indonesian.html)

- You can sign your name to support the Komodo island as one of the world's natural wonders
Those are just a few pics. Please check out the links above and the ones below to see others. It seems the Indonesian pavilion had a lot of interesting things, no wonder it won an award!
http://expo2010shanghai.com/national-pavilions/indonesia-pavilion/
http://www.indonesiaatworldexpo.com/

Looking at the website and other blogs from people attending the expo, made me regret not going there. Hopefully the next expo will be on the same (or even bigger) scale and I get a chance to attend!

Ring of Fire

noreply@blogger.com (Fitri) — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 07:51:00 +0000

Indonesia lies on the "Pacific Ring of Fire", an area that has around 75% of the world's volcanoes. As luck has it, the volcanoes in Indonesia are among the most active ones. Just a couple of months ago, the media in Indonesia was filled with news of Mount Sinabung's eruption. Now, the attention turns to Mount Merapi. This mountain is close to Yogyakarta. On a clear day and from certain spots, you can see this mountain soaring high. I think this is why there is such a strong tie between Merapi and Yogyakarta.

Merapi seen from Yogya
Pic by ~gibrantoz on deviant art (http://gibrantoz.deviantart.com/#/dw3dw5)

Yogyakarta was once a kingdom on its own (with a king (Sultan) and his own court). However, with Indonesia's independence, it agreed to become part of Indonesia as a province with "special" status. Til now, the people are known to still hold and practice the ancient Javanese mystical beliefs and traditions. According to these beliefs, mount Merapi plays a very important role to the extent that it has its own gatekeeper who leads a yearly ceremony called Labuhan. In this ceremony, the Sultan's personal belongings are offered to the mountain.

Regardless of this, Mount Merapi has been revered by many because of its beauty and the fertile soil surrounding it. Millions of photos have been taken of it and many people have climbed its slopes. But with the eruption, the grounds are now covered in ashes and rescue workers occupy the area to attend the evacuees. A big shout of respect to all.

Pic by ~sisasapigila on deviant art (http://sisapigila.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d2jb800)

Just heard now that Mount Anak Krakatau has also increased its activities in the past days. Pray for Indonesia!

October 2nd, Batik Day

noreply@blogger.com (Fitri) — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 04:39:00 +0000

"The techniques, symbolism and culture surrounding hand-dyed cotton and silk garments known as Indonesian Batik permeate the lives of Indonesians from beginning to end: infants are carried in batik slings decorated with symbols designed to bring the child luck, and the dead are shrouded in funerary batik."

Indonesian Batik described by UNESCO (United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization)

It has been a year since UNESCO listed Batik as one of the items on its "Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity" list and the batik trend which my friend once said would not last long, seems to still be going on strong in Indonesia.

Just logged on to facebook and saw many of my friends updating their status with invitations of wearing batik today. In the newspaper, store ads announce special discounts for those wearing batik on this day.

And just saw a new product by Attack called Attack Batik Cleaner, a detergent specially made for washing Batik. Batik needs to be washed carefully to maintain the dye used in batik so that the color doesn't fade quickly. Usually people use lerak (soapberry) to wash their batik (especially the expensive ones), which is quite a hassle. Now that this product is in the market, it will definitely make washing batik much easier. (But why did it have to be a Japanese company who came up with the idea?)

Btw, not only Indonesians are crazy about Batik...check out a few of these celebrities: world-artists-with-their-batik

Happy Batik Day!

Famous Temples of Yogya

noreply@blogger.com (Fitri) — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 13:55:00 +0000

Pic by: Marcello and Anita Tranchini

Last July, I went to Yogya with a few friends of mine and finally got the chance to see the Borobudur temple. Declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, going to this 9th century Buddhist temple has always been on my Must-Do list.

My friends had already gone to Borobudur when they were little, so when we saw a bike rental not far after entering the main gate, we thought it would be a different experience than just walking to the temple. Not too mention the day was quite hot so we didn't feel like walking.

There was also the option of taking the park train (those small trains on wheels which you often find in amusement parks). However, the train didn't have a fix schedule. When we asked one of the men near the train when it would depart, he answered "Just in a minute, when there are more people". Being Indonesians, we know better that "Just in a minute" might mean half an hour :)

Even though the bike ride was an enjoyable experience, I don't think I would recommend it to foreign tourists, since the guys renting the bike couldn't speak any english and even we were confused with the rules for renting them, such as where to leave the bike once we got to the temple etc. But eventually, we made it and it was lots of fun.

Btw, my Borobudur experience was made more memorable because I got a heavy sunburn afterwards.

Another famous temple in Yogya which I got to see on this trip, is the Hindu temple: Prambanan which lies in the Prambanan temple compound. We passed by this temple on our way to Solo.

A shame that our schedule was so tight, because at night, the Prambanan temple becomes the back-drop of the Ramayana performance where the epic story of Ramayana is told through Javanese dances.

Saman "Thousand hands" dance

noreply@blogger.com (Fitri) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 04:14:00 +0000

When I was little, being a diplomat's daughter, it was common for me to learn various traditional Indonesian dances at the embassy. One popular dance is the Saman dance which originates from the Aceh province.

Not only at the embassies, Indonesian student bodies/organizations also often perform this dance when promoting Indonesia because the basic movements in Saman are simple so those who have no dancing background at all can easily join as long as they are not "rhythmically impaired". The dance movements contain movements of clapping and slapping your hands to your body with the pace starting out slowly and then progressively becoming faster before coming to a stop. The dance emphasizes on the dancers ability to move as one. So the more dancers, the more visually appealing the dance becomes. Maybe that is why the english name for the dance is known as "thousand hands" dance.

If you google "Saman dance" on youtube, you will see many variations of the dance movements. I guess because so many organizations have performed the dance, over the years, many new movements were thought up to make it more interesting. I've also noticed that they've now added drums in the background and it does give the dance a more dramatic feel.

I tried to find one videoclip that most resembles the movements I myself have learnt from my embassy days. But in this clip, they varied the movements so that you see them splitting up and forming a line again. Usually after the dancers form a line, they stay that way.

A more original form of the dance can be seen in this video:

Pantai Merah (Pink Beach)

noreply@blogger.com (Fitri) — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 16:15:00 +0000

Hopefully at the end of July, I'll be able to (finally) scratch off Borobudur from my Must-Do list. But this won't make the list shorter because I've just found out about "Pantai Merah" which means 'Red beach' but somehow in English it's called Pink Beach instead.

Photo courtesy of Terong

I'm actually not too keen on beaches, but the picture of this beach has really caught my eye. This beach is part of Komodo National Park, home to the Komodo dragon, the world's largest lizard and deemed as a vulnerable species (likely to become endangered).

Stunning as the beach is though, it is on the bottom of my list since going there is a bit of a hassle. You need to go from Bali to Labuan Bajo or Bima (both are not the typical tourist cities). And from there, take a boat to the park. Being the city girl that I am, I can imagine myself getting sea sick :)

But who knows, maybe someday there will be direct flights from Jakarta??

Kawah Putih

noreply@blogger.com (Fitri) — Wed, 26 May 2010 08:46:00 +0000

Last Sunday, I went to Bandung with my friends. Bandung is a great city, not too small but not too big with lots of things to do. Nowadays, it is mostly famous for its factory outlets (FO). But really, there's much more to Bandung than just FOs.

I've already wrote about Tangkuban Parahu, a mountain in North Bandung famous for its craters (Kawah Ratu & Kawah Domas). This time, I went to South Bandung to check out the crater of Mount Patuha. The crater is called "Kawah Putih", which means "White Crater" because of the white grounds surrounding the crater.

As with Kawah Ratu and Kawah Domas at Tangkuban Parahu, the crater is still a few miles away from the main gate. Special mini vans (angkot) can take you up to the crater or you can also bring your own car (it's cheaper though if you leave your car at the parking area & take the angkot). But, unlike Kawah Ratu, you can actually walk into the crater.

Before going, I'd already heard from friends that Kawah Putih is very beautiful. And they were totally right! The scenery of Kawah Putih was very serene... The crater is filled with bluish green water which glistened beautifully against the white grounds. I absolutely loved it, although if you like a more rugged scenery, Kawah Domas still holds the top spot in my book.

Stepping carefully on a few of the larger stones can get you a bit further to the middle of the "lake" to get awesome pictures. As for the sulfur smell, it was very tolerable. Definitely a must see when in Bandung!

Bone Marrow soup

noreply@blogger.com (Fitri) — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 04:10:00 +0000

I tried this quirky food during my stay in Medan. My cousins asked whether I like bone marrow soup and I replied "Yes!" even though I had never tried one but I said that because I do like to suck the bone marrow after eating fried chicken. I thought it would be something similar.

They brought me to "Sop Sumsum Langsa" which is quite famous for its bone marrow soup. Even Bondan Winarno, an Indonesian culinary expert, recommended this place in one of his articles.

When the soup actually came, I was quite surprise to see this huge bone on my plate. The bone is from a cow's leg because the bone marrow is plenty and easier to process.

The way you eat it is by "slurping" the bone marrow using the straw.

Because it was not what I expected, it did take some time for me to get over the psychological barrier of slurping white gooey stuff out of a cow's leg. With every slurp, I couldn't stop thinking how this must be high in cholesterol! So I didn't enjoy it that much, but it was quite an experience. If you get the chance, please try it!

Becak Motor in Medan

noreply@blogger.com (Fitri) — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 08:22:00 +0000

There are so many forms of public transportation in Indonesia. One of them is the Becak, i.e. pedicab.

Unfortunately, pedicabs are banned in Jakarta now, although you can still find some in the suburbs. I have fond memories from elementary school where I would go home with a pedicab and feel the cool wind blowing into my face (those days, Jakarta was less polluted of course). I remember the soft creaking sound as the driver pedals the bike. I just love riding them! That is why, every time I go to the smaller cities in Indonesia, I would try to take a trip on a becak.

In Medan, the becak is motorized and is called Becak Motor (shortened as BeTor). The driver is on the side, instead of at the back. Last time I went to Medan, I used a Becak Motor to go to the major tourist sights (note though I went on a Sunday morning so less traffic / pollution). At the end, the driver was kind enough to let me take a picture of him. I must say, he wasn't camera shy!

The covering (that plastic window in front of the passenger side) is usually foldable so when it is a nice day, it would be folded up and then folded down when it rains. The day I went on this becak was actually a very nice day, but I found the cover was quite handy to keep dust out of my eyes :)

Garuda Indonesia

noreply@blogger.com (Fitri) — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 08:29:00 +0000

Last week, on a business trip to Medan, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself boarding one of Garuda Indonesia's newest aircraft (Garuda Indonesia is Indonesia's national airline).

I already felt something was going on as I entered the plane (the ambience was different than normal...well of course, since the airplane is spankin' new) but it was not until I sat down in economy class and saw the tv screen in front of me, that I noticed what was going on.

So I chose a movie and made myself comfortable. Unfortunately, we experienced some bad turbulence...I guess no matter how new a plane is, bad turbulence can really spoil a flight!

In 2007, the EU banned all Indonesian airlines from flying to Europe. Since then, improvements have been made and the ban on Garuda Indonesia has been lifted. I also noticed that Garuda Indonesia has a new livery, but I prefer the old one which actually shows the "garuda" bird.

Old livery (in front) vs New livery (at the back)

Photo source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garuda_Indonesia

Sadly, on my way back to Jakarta, I got the old plane :( but luckily there were no turbulence this time!

Wayang

noreply@blogger.com (Fitri) — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 08:14:00 +0000

Indonesia's Wayang is listed by UNESCO as a world heritage. Wayang is a form of theatre where puppets are used to tell epic stories such as Ramayana and Mahabharata or other stories containing moral messages. There are different forms of wayang depending on the puppets used.

Wayang kulit is the most popular one where the puppets are made of animal skin. The puppets are held behind a white cloth which is shined by a light so that the puppets' shadows are cast on it. It is these shadows that the audience actually sees.

Left: A wayang kulit puppet, Right: Wayang kulit performance

Photosource (left-right):
http://www.gamelannetwork.co.uk/seleh-notes-library/wayang-puppets.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayang

Another form of wayang is wayang golek where the puppets are made of wood. And then there are shows where actual people dress up and wear masks to portray the characters which are then called wayang orang.

If you go to Indonesia, I would recommend watching a wayang kulit show. During the performance, gamelan is used as accompanying music. However, beware that real wayang shows last quite long (hours!).

If you don't get a chance to watch a wayang show, you can always buy the puppets. They are sold in many Indonesian souvenir shops, especially in Java. Recently my sister went to a wayang golek factory and bought this puppet. They make quite beautiful decorations in a room.