SIN/JKT/SIN

31 May 2012

Pagi! (means Morning in Bahasa... b'cos by the time I finished this post, it should be about 2am SG time on 1 June...)

My first work trip of the year > 10th ASEAN Ports & Shipping 2012 Conference and Exhibition!  Also, my second time participating the two-days show... last year the show was held in HCMC at Winsor Plaza Hotel and it travels around the region.  This year, in Jarkata (so I am here for the second time) and see some familiar faces from the past year!  :)  I've got information that next year's show will be in June (my birthday!) back in HCMC.  Booo...!!!

I also met up with Pei Huan (ok, picture too dark to see who that mysterious lady was... too bad!) who happens to travel to Jarkata on the same week as I do.  We had dinner and do 'lil bit of catch up... remember the last time I saw her was at NEX for lunch and that was when I just joined the company... almost a year ago!

Ok need to end the post abruptly b'cos I realized that I only have less than fours hours of sleep before I leave for airport.  Yes.  I am going home later!  Going home for my Moma's soup.  YAY!!! 

Lunch with the team / #foreveralone Dinner / Us at the booth / My fozen yogurt fix > tried both Red Mango & Sour Sally. Jessie say 'chip!' > Catching up with an old friend by the beach! (name of the restaurant lah... lol)

I WANT TO GO HOME!

23 September 2011

Horrendous night spent at the JKT Airport!

I encountered a werid night in my room yesterday on the very last night of my JKT stay... while I was still working and watching the TV, the aircon suddenly started blowing (when it was supposed to be off ) and the TV was auto off!  I called the reception and was asked to try re-slotting in the room card... and it worked.  Everything was in order... then another 5-10mins later, it happened again... I tried the second time then shortly my phone in the room rang... when I was about to pick it up, it hung up.  HOW?  So WERID!

I try not to think so negative... and decided to go bed... and while I am getting ready to sleep the TV went off again (this time the aircon was still OFF)!  WARAO eh!!!  I called the airline and asked if there are any seats on the next available flight but it was already 12am and airport counter and airline office were closed and only way to check the available seats are to be done at the airport personally.  I checked online and the earliest flight was 5.50am and I proceed to check out the hotel!  It was about 12.30am when I checked out of the hotel...

The moment I reached airport, I regretted my hrash decision... the airport was closed!  It wasn't like how Singapore operated their 24h airport.  It was a pitch dark walkway with people sleeping on the benches (with and without luaggages...).  "Is this place safe...?"  I asked myself.  The airport in JKT is closed for operation from 12am-3.30am as their earliest flight is 5.05am therefore nobody will be working!  Even those traveller on transit will be asked to leave the airport and wait outside!  ++DAMN++

I couldn't place myself with those people sleeping on benches... and I strolled up and down outside the airport... then suddenly I saw an ang mo lady reading her books in this coffeeshop...  I decided it was OK to sit with them while waiting for the gate to be opened.  This Indo-chinese guy seated behind me kept chatting with me...  I worried that he might be a professional cheater (he told me his domestic flight was delayed for 3hrs and he was in the airport since 8am till now - you believe anot?) and I am so sleepy and tired but still entertained him for awhile before I popped my iPod into my ears and ignore him...  I couldn't sleep and dare not to sleep... so worried that I will be robbed blah blah blah...

By 3.20am, the departure gate opened...  I quickly Q-ed to get in and so worried that I might not be granted in due to my flight is about 14hrs before departure time!  Luckily the guard let me in and I RAN to SQ counter to have my flight changed to 5.50am.  FWAH, I couldn't be more thankful than anything else... after I got my amended flight ticket I went straight to the immigration counter to check in.  I felt so safe after I had my passport stamped and seated by the boarding gate trying to catch a nap before getting on the flight....

Not to mentioned the horrible services I got from the ol' SQ woman on the flight back, this is the most unbearable moment and darkest night from all my travelling days...

When I related my incident to my friends, some say I was brave... some say I should have change a new room or even bunk in my night with my colleagues/boss (they didn't even know I took the first flight back! shhhhhhhhh~)... erm... I don't know... I couldn't sleep and wanted to go home so badly.  I should have been more 理智 and not rush into such 冲动 decision that might landed myself into such unnecessary trouble in such UNSAFE hazy city!  :(

Singapore traffic, my ah Thiang and my bed... YOU HAVE BEEN MISSED!

SIN/JKT/SIN - Day 4

22 September 2011

Today is the ONLY day I get to see sunset in Jakarta!  Haha... left early with moi boss back hotel to catch up with some work... and tomorrow don't have to go to the exhibition hall... I AM GOING HOME!  YAY!!

This morning I almost freaked out when I looked myself in the mirror - BRUISED from the rub last night!  Red marks on my arms... I can even see the tee-shirt sleeve marks on the left of my arm!  Guanyin-ma, what did the masseuse do to me last night?  Still feeling sore on my arms... now... am having second thoughts on going back for foot massage, maybe I will just meet Bilal and KH for dinner after their 2-hr massage... heh!!!

SIN/JKT/SIN - Day 3

21 September 2011

Electric, Power & Renewable Energy 2011

YAY!  First day of show and we have collected over 90 sales contacts from the "Win a iPod Nano" campaign.

Pak Wiyono (that's him in the picture standing outside the restro) brought us out for lunch which is about 45mins drive + jam and for once I had the so-called authentic Nasi Langgi Kuning.  Nice.  I also bought some local snacks like peanuts, and beef floss from the restro.

Me and Kai Hua finally found foot massage place that is located basement 2 (what I called it - below their underground level) cost Rp.50,000 for good ol' 60mins... and tomorrow we are coming back again!  It was very late when we are done with our massage and all shops and restaurants were closed.  We had no choice but to dine in at the hotel restaurant - by the pool side... food sucks.  It was the same menu as what I found in the room... bleh~

Today lunched at 3.30pm and dinner ended about 12mid-night... I am confused which time zone exactly I was now...  :(

SIN/JKT/SIN - Day 2

20 September 2011

Localized local delights!

Yesterday I was complaining that I am unable to get any 'local' food for my meals... and today, I managed to taste their very own localized food locally!

Guess what.  The KFC I had in Bali was the standard combo I had in SG... and here, we have rice to replace the burger!  ONLY rice and a drumstick in that combo box.  Not sure where my colesaw and wipped potato gone to... and that's for my lunch.  I have been starved to hell!  :(

After completing the setup of booth, it was already 7+pm (SIN time) I am so so so exhausted and plus our dear Alex is nowhere familiar with the places around our hotel.  So no massage and local food (wonder does he only goes office and back home then office then home... then office then home?)

The car passby a padang store just very nearby our hotel (about 50m by foot) and we just setttled this for our dinner tonight.  WOW.  I loved their ox-tail soup and I had TWO servings... soup = comfort food... yums!!!  I thought local food will mean ayam penent and tauhu telor but no, this is like our 杂菜饭 ~ the high class version... like The Rice Table - they serve you many small dishes, eat all you can and pay only one price... but here, you were displayed with many plates of small dishes, and you pay if you 'touched' or eat them.  Those not consumed at the end of the meal, will not be charged but put back to the heaps of displays at the counter for the next customer.  OK.  I only go to The Rice Table... not local padang store anymore.

Despite there isn't any fancy malls (the faceshop mask here sells like S$6.80/pc when I can get them at JB for S$2.80/pc! wtf.) and massage that we can visit, the hotel I am staying serves very nice morning breakfast - such a consolation!  This is very different from the rest of the hotels I have stayed for the past travellings... and just by looking at the in-room dining menu, I am so eager to try their ox-tail soup, gado gado tomorrow!  I should have flipped the in-room menu yesterday...  ++yum yum++  :))

SIN/JKT/SIN - Day 1

19 September 2011

Bengawan Solo.... la la la la la lahhh....

Yesh.  I am in Jakarta, Indonesia.  First time here.  Vividly remembered around the same month last year, I was in Kuta, Bali for a launch too... time flies...  Today, friendly Henry T picked me up from the airport>hotel>JIE Kemayoran and before he left, we had a chat to catch up what has happened after I left them...  I HAVE BEEN MISSED!  ++Haha++

Electric, Power and Renewable Energy 2011 seems a very HEAVY-duty industry and I see many many HEAVY machinery everywhere... they were HUGE... seriously HUGE!  The exhibition hall itself was SO MUCH dusty-er and hazy-er from the rest of my set ups in various countries.  ++FWAH++  I was made to wear a mask and my eyes wasn't spared from the dusty environment - 'she' was tear-ing away...  ++singing away: smoke gets into "your" eyes...++

I was craving for tauhu telor... ayam penent... I couldn't find any authentic Indonesian restaurant at the mall beside my hotel and settled for some lasi lemak at some Hainanese Kopitiam.  ++D A N G!!!++  Tomorrow when moi boss is here, I will make him bring me go ease my cravings!!!  :)

Day 1 in peektures: Loved the FREE mobile phones charging station @ T2 - now I can have my phone 100% fully charged before I board the plane! YAY!!