I recently went to Indonesia for an academic trip. It was part of our Issues in Operations Management subject requirement. Why Indonesia? Well..there were few choices at first, and lots of factors to consider. Especially related to costs. Besides, there's a lot in Indonesia (I believe) that I can learn from. (Which I did).
DAY 1. (July 17, 2012)
Took off from Dungun at 4am. Arrived at KLIA at 11am. Convert RM to Rupiah. Bought Wisdom from Laughter; 500 Jokes with Life Lessons book (I seriously cannot come out a book store without buying any books), checked in at 2pm and boarded the KLM Royal Dutch air plane at 5pm.
Touched down at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta at 7pm. Took off to Bandung (3-hrs drive) and had dinner at Bukit Randu Bandara. Those jet lags (as if) made us too tired to enjoy dinner. But lemme assure u, it was gooooood. After dinner, checked-in at Marciella Hotel. Finally!
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| KLM Royal Dutch |
DAY 2. (July 18, 2012)
Breakfast at hotel restaurant. Gahh..loved the fried rice! Tastes so Indomie~ After breakfast, took off to Tangkuban Perahu/Parahu. Approx.1 hour drive. Quite breezy there. And smells strongly of sulphur *pinch nose*. Here, I bought several t-shirts for my family. Rp.20,000 each, equivalent to approx. RM6. If u're good at bargaining, I bet u can get at cheaper prices. I also bought my dad a drum set model for Rp.50,000 (Approx.RM16).
Then, we had lunch at Kg. Daun. What a scenery! Table and chairs were set in small huts. Surrounded by green sceneries and a waterfall. Verrry relaxing. We ate Nasi Sunda. I need not mention the out-of-d-world taste it offers. *drool*. Completed with a Bandung Cincau beverage. Perghhh.. needless to say. So....Indonesia!
With a happy, full, stomach, we continued our exploration in Bandung. Paris Van Java was our next stop. Famously known for its mode houses, it was also a shopping destination.
Next, another shopping pit stop. Toko Tiga. (I wish had more allowances. But I'm glad I'm strong enough in buying only what is necessary). Toko Tiga is famously known for it's cheap branded jeans. I bought a Levi's jeans (after 50% discount) at approx. RM80. So, tell me where I can get a quality Levi's jeans at that price in Malaysia?
Not enough shopping? Off to Jalan Riau. Famously known for its factory outlet (F.O). F.O's are usually a bit more expensive than other shopping areas, cuz it's more like a boutique-type of shopping outlet.
To end our day, we had dinner at Rumah Ikan. The main dish? Well of course, fish. (I'm bad at identifying types of fish). As a side order, I bought a delicious Rp.15,000 vanilla-green tea ice-cream.
DAY 3. (July 19, 2012)
Again, breakfast at the hotel with the good taste of (Indomie) fried rice. Checked-out, and hit our first destination of the day; Kartika Sari. Heaven for confectioneries, cakes (kek lapis, rainbow cake, red-velvet and macaroons), chocolates and biscuits. However, I only bought a slice of Rp.4,000 brownies. Cakes were not in my Shopping list. So I sacrificed myself.
Next stop? Oh..oh..oh..*checks wallet and shopping list*..to Pasar Baru! What's with the excitement you question? Here's the place to shop for everything! Here, I bought telekung for my mum and grandmas. Was out of budget to get myself and my sister's one each. Sigh~. My mum's telekung cost Rp.165,000 (approx.RM 55), with a set of telekung bag and a praying mat. Suitable for travelling. I bought both my grandma's a silk cotton telekung each. Pasar Baru consists of several floors, with each floor sells different merchandise. A level each of; telekung, cloths, ready-made jubah, t-shirts, souvenirs, and food stuffs. We spent 4 hours shopping here. Then we all gathered at the meeting point, to wait for the bus. It was here that we can really see how the people there did for a living. Many came from poor families. They did various ways to obtain money. Played guitar and sing, and expecting people to donate. Sold key chains, toys, telekung bags and other merchandises to tourists by hand. Some even just ask for money. It may be annoying sometimes as they tend to force tourists to buy their products, even if we insist we didn't want to. Well, like I said. They'd do anything for a living. It's pretty hectic here in Pasar Baru. So you might wanna be extra careful with your belongings here.
Tired. We headed for lunch at Mitra Sederhana Pasteur. With a happy tummy, we headed to our next destination; Jalan Cibaduyut Raya. Famously known for it's genuine leather products. Boots, jackets..all leather products. Didn't buy anything here. Just sight-seeing.
Now's the time to say Au revoir to Bandung, cuz we're heading to Jakarta, people! We arrived in Jakarta at 11pm. Had dinner. Checked-in at N1 Hotel. Slept soundly.
DAY 4. (July 20, 2012).
We had the morning off to do our own exploration of the city. I chose to sleep. (Gosh, get a life Yong!) Lemme explain people! I didn't want to risk getting lost and spoiling the trip. Besides, lemme remind you. I was out of budget. So I only explored 'Jakarta' from my hotel room. Had Indomie noodles for breakfast. Finally! At 11am, we checked-out from the hotel, and headed to MONAS. It's a monument in the city that also symbolizes the highest peak. I was told that no other building should be higher that the peak of MONAS.
Next point; ITC Mangga 2. Another shopping place. Gahh!! *bank notes flying with wings*. Only managed to buy myself a Jakarta t-shirt.
So there goes. End of our trip. In case u question which part is the 'academic' part, well.. initially we were to visit Institut Teknologi Bandung. But due to certain unavoidable events, we didn't manage to replace it with another university, college or institute. Sad. I would really love to meet the students in Indonesia. Share knowledge and experience. Well then, maybe some other time. (Yeah right~).
Well, it was a really educational trip for me. I love observing. Getting the chance to see people's life from different perspective is what I love doing. From what I observed, the people there are mostly living in hardship. They live in clustered housing areas and quite much in a less-hygienic environment. Kids running around barefooted. Poor mothers wearing ripped clothes carrying their babies around and asking donations. Youngsters selling goodies, and sometimes a little harsh by force. I was also told by a friend that he had witnessed used straws being recycled for the next users. (Gross!). Plus, I was also shocked that drivers there uses emergency lanes as one of the main lanes. Looks so innocent to them. However, it's cool to find that 7-Eleven in Jakarta is a cafe-concept with seats to hang out and drink. (I only saw one branch though). I also saw a clothing shop on a walkway. But what's weird is that there are table sets in between the clothes. Do they operate restaurant and boutique at the same time? Won't it give the clothes smells? My friend first noticed this, most Chinese there do not speak Chinese. So true. I tried to communicate in Mandarin with one Chinese woman, but she said she doesn't speak so. Okayyy~
In short, I benefited as much as I could throughout the trip. I've seen more developed countries before, and I'm lucky to see a less developed country. With this, I have become a lot more thankful with everything I have. Like my dad said, Those who resist to explore other places are those who are not thankful. Meaning to say, they only see life in one perspective. When they should have various views in life.
P/S: Conversation I overheard at KLIA.
Woman A: Eh, where u from?
Woman B: Mana lagi? London lah!
(Okayyy fine!)
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