tere616

This is a place where everybody loves and wish to come back again and again…!!

This is a place where people suddenly value their life..

This is a place where I forgot everything, where the sensation still the same.

The sensation of the beach at Santika hotel, Tuban, still the same. I always feel at home here, the place where I can play with the sand, enjoy the scenery of sunset, jogging along the beach while watching people play.

The passion of mountain range, where I spend most of my time lately.

Keliki Village, Ubud, the place of “Bali”, the real face of “Bali”..., no TV, no Music, no Newspaper…; just me and myself ; just me and the morning sun ; just me and the cricket at night.

Watching people gave the offering to GOD early morning and during the sun dawn…

Watching my Padma blossom, feel the coldness of the water …

Sit quietly and let my mind fly away high to the place that I’ve never even dare to visit.

No ever place that I want to spend more than Bali … ,

I never dreamed to visit this city, Singkawang, the city which never been in the discussion of our Geography study during my elementary, junior nor even high school.

We had an assignment to write about Bugis people who transport the log from Pontianak to Jakarta by using their traditional boat.

We near to finished our assingment, when my friend got an invitation to visit Sintang, another city near Pontianak.

We were in the middle of admiring the sparkle of traditonal boat, when my friend told us about Singkawang, where had been known as the traditional chinesse ceramic village.

We found that as an opportunity to wrote something about their tradition, the people and the ceramic.

We arrived there in the evening …. humid, hot, seemed that no one ever touched that city, and went straight to the ceramic crafts village.

The village were far away from the center. We had to across the coarse grass desert … like a village in the Vietnam War.

We felt like a stranger. Yes .. a stranger in our own country

We did understand that we will visit the village but found out that they could not understand Indonesian language… was something that we never know, something that never been taught nor even written in the newspaper, was something beyond my imagination.

It seems that their skilled … their ceramic … had overcome the languange barrier, had overcome the difficulties of a modern trade rules.

No wonder people had forgotten that they could not speak Indonesian.

Started from that day…everytime I saw a ceramic with chinese motif, or green color or with antique color…my mind always go to that place….

It was not only the ceramic … I found something that also interesting…. the traditional cafe …

We found that traditional cafe during our morning walk on the next day, our last day in that city.

Suddenly we were in the middle of several traditional cafe where the old people enjoyed the morning sun with the coffe kettle in the middle of the table.

It was not only 1 couple..it seemed that all of old people stayed in that city went out to enjoy their morning talk with the traditional coffee…

Dressed in Chinessed tradition … grey hair … hot water kettle in the middle of the table, aroma of the coffee…

That was the second things…that always remind me of that city.

The ceramic and the coffee…

I flew to Hyderabad on Sunday morning by Sahara carier, after my exhausting trip to Taj Mahal, after I finished my task at Delhi, after the bad experienced I had with the travel agency.

I never forget that Sunday morning in Hyderabad.

Raining…, smaller airport compare to Delhi…; remembering me of small city in Indonesia.

The hotel driver had been waiting for me and took me directly to the hotel which had been choosed by the same travel agent.

The same travel agent which had been appointed by EPCH (the coordinator of Indian International Handicraft exhibition), the same travel agent who cheated me.

I had a strange feeling at that time that I will be cheated again but I could not cancelled my trip to Hyderabad. I had paid the ticket from Delhi to Hyderabad, paid the hotel and the worst part, my returned ticket to Jakarta was from Hyderabad.

I was so shock when I entered the hotel, it was dark and no air con. Especially the room condition, the curtain, the carpet, it looks like that no one ever clean them. The bed, unbelievable.

Compared to my hotel in Delhi which cost 50 % less then in Hyderabad, that was the worst thing that ever happened in my life.

I was panicked at that time, and I started to called everybody that I know in India. I called my friend, I called my Indonesian Embassy. I cried, I told them I want to go back to Indonesia right away…

But GOD has His plan on me, He didn’t let me go home ..

My friend, finally found a good hotel for me, with a special price. More expensive but worth it. Viceroy Hotel … and maybe today it’s been changed to Mariott Hotel.

I felt at home suddenly, found something familiar with me.

..... My adventure started with Birla Mandir Temple, white marble stone with Mahabrata Epic relief. Saw the priest bless the people. Met with my indian little friend. Met with nice, kind people, whose taken my photograph.

Went to Shilpharam, the craft village, on Monday morning, bought a lot of earings and necklaces.

Browsing beautiful sari at Kalanikethan and finally bought one, my 1st beautiful sari…(wish I have a chance to wear it).

I still remembered the 1st sari that I would like to buy .. sari with gold string …. oh..I couldn’t afford it.. (wish I have a chance to wear it).

Went to Sadarfjung Museum on Tuesday morning, found the similarity of their traditional sarong with Indonesian sarong. Finally got the proof of my history study .. that long time ago, people from India and China came to Indonesia…

Pass the Husein Sagar every time I went to several places in Hyderabad.

Went to Charminar, pass Mecca Masjid, met with Catholic nun…before at the last…bought the pearls from Krishna’s pearl.

The 1st time in my life I bought precious stone of my birth stone and the pearls.

Nothing much to share, only the kindness of the people, the beautiful places, the light of Husein Sagar lake in front of my hotel, the garden, the pearls, the sari …

The architecture of the designer home, Microsoft building, the peacock of the campus…

It’s near Divali when I took my last dinner, Indian curry with chapati, before I left Hyderabad to Jakarta.

I will come back and settled my unfinished trip to Hyderabad … find out my past life.

I still can picture it in my mind, ....late at night, just sit through my hotel window…capture the bussiest of the harbour, the horn of a ship who wake me up every morning…, beautiful light which pass by my room….such a romantic scenery.

How should I describe the city, their MTR, their woman’s market, men’s market, snake soup, the ceremony entering the winter season, the food…

It’s unimaginable…, find something cheaper but good quality..at least I found a good leather shoes which lasting till now.

The adventure of Men’s and Woman’s market are WOW.
The funny story of both of us, me and my friend, we lost each other in the crowd of men’s market…, the adventure of local food where the cook can’t speak English, how we communicated through calculator.

See the fake snow there….at least near christmas, so it’s worth take a picture in front of “Fake Snow Shower”.

The scarry story when a drunk man thought that I’m the hotel’s employee…when I just went back from my adventure trip with my friend late at night.

The rest..as usual…business trip … only enjoy the city when it is dark.

I’ll go back…and do the holiday adventure this time.

How many times I’ve been in Singapore…?

Hm…I’ve been there in 2001 for a week, on the job training. Then..in 2005 and 2006….just recently.

The rest…was a transit at Changi Airport, the airport that I adore, where during my trip to other country I always wish that the transit city is Singapore.

What I remember most…the MRT, the cleanness, walking around Orchard Road, Expo, the Food, Clark Quay, China town, Bee Cheng Hiang, Little India, the school, and most of all my beloved book store, Kinokuniya and Borders.

Stayed there for 1 week, alone, was not a boring time. I never regret that day…finish my work at Marine Parade or Changi Area, back to my hotel which located in Orchard…take a shower..then walk to my beloved places, Borders.

Browsing the book, take a cup of coffee, watching people pass by, then…ate my aunt annie’s on the way back to the hotel…

Sometimes ..check the latest fashion at Takashimaya..but always end up at Kinokuniya.

My trip to Singapore is always a business trip. But even though it is a business trip I always love my trip to the city that I feel connected.

It seems that I’ve born there…

Recently, I didn’t stay at the hotel, I stayed at the appartement at St Thomas Walk..,

It’s a new adventure for me, looking through my kitchen window every morning, how people prepare their breakfast, or hang in their clothes…

Seeing an Indonesian worker took the dog for a walk…, seeing a bus school pick up the student…

I promised to myself that my next trip, I will go to every corner that I only read through the tourist guide, find my new experience of that city.

Is it hot there ? Absolutely….but it is worth to visit.

October 2003.. The night of 1st Bali Bombing…I never ever forget that date. That was my last day in Manila after almost a week spend my day at the workshop.

I remembered..I went to their book store, spend almost 3 hours there, browsing the book before choosed several books to buy.

I was fascinated with the church which located near my hotel. Fascinated with the price of their book, fascinated with guard carrying gun..everywhere at their mall.

Fascinated with the lecturer I’ve got from the Asian Institute Management Professor of customer behaviour.

The city itself…the crowded of their traditional transportation, their traditional dress which I have since I was a teenager…made me feel at home.

Not much I can say about this city, only the memories of my workshop…, the picture of our recreation night at mini golf area…, the picture of their hospitality..

And most of all…the kindness I’ve got from my colleagues, which still live in my memories.

People says that I’m blind when I’m giving my judgement about India.

Yes…at certain level, I’m blind. I didn’t see the bad things about India, the bad things about the “stereo type” of Indian people.

I closed my eyes and “open” it only for the good things, something that I want to remember with lovely memories.

Taj Mahal, Humayun’s Tomb, Hyderabad, Birla’s Mandir Temple in Hyderabad, Mecca Masjid, Agra, Pragati Maidan, Janpat, Qutab Minar, India Gate, Agra Red Forth….

Sari, Krishna Pearl, Colorfull of the bangles, necklace, earings, The food…

The old car, the old bus, the crow, bajaj…

Being there as a visitor of their Indian Handicrafts & Gifts Fair, really open my eyes about that country.

The country that I read from the book of Sr Theresa, the country that I heard from my friends…

I promise to myself that I will go back again…

It’s lovely…and if you ask me what is the most thing I remember about India….I will say…the colorfull of their handicraft, their sari.., their Hinduism.

It’s been a loooong time ago. Can’t say much about Kuala Lumpur. Only the book store, Petronas, The mines and the well known shopping mall.

But I can say a lot of Penang. It’s so lovely. Amazing the sun still shinning up to 7 pm and the white beach…

Become the Indonesian people who can speaks Malay…really helps me in bargaining at the night market.

The memory that I remembered only the food and the night market with my friends from other Asian country.

I don’t know whether I have a chance to visit KL or even Penang again..; I just know that my last visit only at the airport…before going to other places.

Wish I have a chance to go to Langkawi…

I’m visiting this country, 2 years ago. Can’t do much. Stuck in the meeting room for almost a week. The hotel location is near the river, Marriot Hotel. It’s WOW…

Everytime we have to take a boat..and sky train to the tourist area.

Even though that I don’t have a chance to see all that beautiful things about Bangkok, that city always lives in my heart…;

I met a lot of new people there who end up as my best friend. We still keep in touch up to now.

Some of the people I met there already left the company…and so am I. But the memory about the days that we spent together ..never fade away.

We have a beautiful time there..and we know that we can’t have it back.

I certainly will go back there and go the Chiang May, the place that I wants to visit.