To summarize my trip back home, from Feb 1st – 9th, it’s all about Eat Play Love or 3 F (Foods, Family, Friends).

On festive season like this, I realize that I am more towards “live to eat” kind of person although I’m not a big eater. Could be my family culture since I was a kid, we love culinary trip and enjoy foods a lot especially my brother. I just wish I can extend my stay in Medan, haven’t get to do spa, eat Fountain ice cream, mee-hoon curry from Tabona, satay padang, and so on. Oh slurrpp…

Then there is gathering with high school friends. Some are married, single, in a stable relationship, have baby, continue to take Master program while I’m just a Diploma holder – maybe I can consider online university course.

On every year, in every meet-up, be it with friends or relative, there is always questions. From do-you-have-a-boyfriend question to when-getting-married question and when-to-have-baby question. This year my two tops questions are: When do you plan to have baby? and Do you work?. Quite annoying consider have to answer those over and over again, but see the bright side it shows they are caring. Heh, or busybody -> for aunties.

Many things have happened since the last post. Let’s start with the 4 days trip to Bandung (Indonesia) first.

Before you get jealous cause we traveled again (kidding, not like anyone will ), nah actually we were there for two days WordCamp. First day is for arrival, second and third day for WordCamp, fourth day for departure. No touristy thing this time.

Initially I planned to do some T-shirt and Jeans shopping there. After all, Bandung is famous for factory outlet (and brownies) who knows can get awesome deal like Black Friday promo. But I fell sick on the 3rd day and hubby had sore-throat. Major turn-off! I woke up with body aching and sore-throat. I thought it was small case. But it was getting worse so we went back to hotel after lunch and had to skip the second half of WordCamp.

I had some generic fever medicine bought at mini-mart, took a nap and felt better. In the evening, we decided to go to Paris Van Java with taxi. It was raining on the way there. We were about to arrive when a motorbike suddenly came on our way and BANG! *shock max* Our taxi hit the motorbike, or it should be the other way round. Basically, it’s the motorbike fault.

Somehow there was a policeman nearby and he walked to the accident place. Taxi driver asked us to get down, cause it will be a long process (with the police & the careless motorbike’s owner). So well, we paid the taxi fee and walked to Paris Van Java. Walk under the rain without umbrella.

Back from PVJ, my fever was getting worse. Can’t sleep well throughout the night and had the toughest flight ever, feeling so sick. Definitely couldn’t wait to go back KL so I can seek doctor, where I asked for injection and was given necessary medication. Phew..

Worse trip ever. I also notice that I always fall sick when travelling, either sore-throat or fever. Need to increase the body-immune system.

If you asked me to summarize Jakarta in less than 10 words, I’ll say extremely-bad-traffic-jam and Blackberry is everywhere. That’s what I’ve been hearing from people and is proven from my trip.

At Red Mango, with my aunt at the back + her BB

Hey, even my Mum – the non techie person – converts from Nokia (Asian’s favorite I guess) to Blackberry user and my aunts in Jakarta are using Blackberry as well. My surprise doesn’t end here, they are holding their BB most of the time just like youngster (BBM + Facebook), especially during traffic jam and sit down in cafe. I felt so outdated now with my Nokia. -__-”

Traffic is so bad, it’s better to hire a driver than drive ownself crazy with the traffic. It will take at least 1 hours to go from one place to another, better buy promotional usb drives from online store than going to computer shop.

Not my favorite city

We went to Central Park shopping mall on the 2nd day of our visit to Jakarta cause dearest Mum has a meet up there. We saw a banner mentioning about their Christmas tree which will be launched on that day itself. It’s going to hold the record for being the tallest one (in probably Indonesia or Jakarta only, I don’t recall the details). Sounds so Wow.

Enough of window shopping and checking out blackhead treatments products, hubby and I went out to have a walk at the park. The workers were still working on the Christmas tree. The sky was pretty gloomy already and it rain not long after that with oh-so-loud-terrifying-thunder.

We ran inside and chose to sit at a coffee shop. The rain and thunder didn’t stop them from drilling and setting up the Christmas tree. We just felt that it’s kinda too much to force them working during such a weather just to meet the deadline. What about safety and their life? Sigh.

Next time, don’t just praise the Christmas tree but also appreciate the workers whom made it happens. Without their hard work, your and my favorite shopping mall won’t have such a beautiful Christmas tree and decorations.

Been wanting to post this since afternoon but couldn’t, cause there is problem with hosting server (corrupted as said). Therefore our sites were down for the half day, enough to frustrate me.

Homepage of Google’s Indonesia

Back to topic of the day. Yeap, it’s the 65th independence day for beloved country, Indonesia. Despite the corruption, the frequency of earthquake, the constant power failure in my hometown, the traffic jam, the pollution, whatever bad thing that you can think of, I am still proud for being an Indonesian. Seriously.

Although the education’s curriculum keeps on changing from year to year, but at least we are consistent with using Indonesian language for all the text book, whether it’s private or government school, unlike the neighborhood country Malaysia which focus on Melayu language for a while and English on next.

Thanks to the consistency, we (include Chinese) are pretty fluent in using Indonesian language. Writing medical resume in full Indonesian language shouldn’t be a problem. Compare to Malaysia (sorry), some of the Chinese don’t even know how to speak in Melayu, okay probably the basic words. To those who can speak/read/listen, kudos for you! I mean, as a citizen, we should be able to speak/read/listen/understand our country’s national language, regardless our race.

Just some thought from my small brain.

Dirgahayu Indonesia-ku! Daripada ikutan debat politik nga tentu, lebih baek berjuang sebaik2nya di bidang masing2 biar bisa mengharumkan nama negara di kancah internasional.