The Ultimate Trip

When I was a little girl, I knew that I lived in a big world, and all I've ever wanted was travelling around the globe. Maybe that's why I was attracted to geography, history and English lessons. It felt like only a dream and an impossible thing to do, but this year, I finally made it come true. Well, at least I went to some parts of the globe, not all of it, hahaha...

Last March I went to Europe, with my 2 friends, Cindy and Mas Ronny. Eurotrip was my ultimate dream trip so I was very excited doing it. The itinerary was an ambitious one, 8 countries and 10 cities, because it's the first Eurotrip for Cindy and me. We went to Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Venezia, Vatican, Rome, Geneve, Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam. It made the schedule was very tight. But we've managed to enjoy the ride.. :))

Rome, Italy - March 20th, 2014

What did we get from this trip, other than the pictures of course? That's what our friend from Portugal, Andreia, asked us last night. We've experiences, being citizens of the world. This trip taught us a lot of things, like being patient and empathy for others, experiencing other cultures, meeting new people, tasting delicious food from each city, and many indescribable feelings that I can't explain. We. Had. Fun. Period.

I so wanna tell you the details, but maybe not today. Hopefully I will have time and not becoming too lazy to write or share some photos with you all, hihihi...

When the end is near,,,

I remember last year I thought that 2012 would be like hell, and I couldn't imagine how I was going to through it. I remember thinking if only I could blink my eyes so I could fast forward the time. But here we are, near the end of 2012, and guess what? I'm still alive. It felt like I've been stumble and beaten up, but I survived the year 2012 and standing still. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right? :))

The good thing about this year is having new friends in Cepu. Again. People come and go easily. I was saying hellos and goodbyes too often. The sadness of saying goodbye only last for couple of days, and then couple of hours and then we only felt the joy and happiness of welcoming the new member, new colleagues and new friends. Well, making friend is not easy. I know some people find it hard to trust and open up to new people. Thank God, I don't. 

Inline with company's plan to regenerate the workers, there are a lot of young workers now, including the new ones. And suddenly I felt like I have a bunch of younger sisters and brothers. You're working with them everyday and getting to know them not only professionally but also personally. What their favourite snacks, whom they're in love with, what makes them laugh, etc. Slowly but sure, they are becoming my family. Hanging out with them at the office and working on a project until late at night but we still managed to have a good laugh. I will always remember that as one of the best times in my life. 

When they got married or having babies, I couldn't help myself feeling happy and proud of them. And when they're sad, I was glad they trusted me enough to tell me and asked for my advice. As much as I want to leave Cepu, I know it will be hard for me to say good bye to them. I'm thankful for them.

Well, what 2013 will be like? I have no idea. But I want to live it one day at a time. With an open mind,  stronger than ever, and enjoy the ride,,, :))

Support System

Postingan ini terinspirasi salah satu episode Grey's Anatomy season 8.
Maksud support system adalah orang-orang terdekat atau di sekitar kita yang menjadi tempat kita bersandar.
People that we can count on and rely on, especially when life gets hard.
Ga semua orang bisa kita jadikan support system, walau mereka termasuk teman dekat juga.
Dan support system terbesar tentu saja ada di keluarga kita.
Keluarga adalah rumah, tempat kita kembali. Tempat berlindung saat dunia kita jungkir balik.

Di Cepu ini, secara jauh dari keluarga, support system gw adalah teman-teman kantor.
Especially this one particular person, si mpok Ijah.
What I like about her is her honesty, kalo jelek dibilang jelek, bagus ya dibilang bagus.
Dia ga akan ragu bilang gw salah, bego dan sebagainya.
On the other hand, she'll give her support and prayer everytime I need them.

Gw paling seneng diskusi ama si mpok ini, karena dia pinter dan apa adanya.

Diskusi macem-macem, mulai soal kerjaan, gosip kantor, isu nasional & dunia, juga masalah hati :D

Satu nasehat si mpok yang akan gw ingat selalu.
Bahwa dalam mencari pasangan hidup, carilah tipe yang "being there."
Maksudnya, kita kan ga tau ya apa yang akan terjadi dalam hidup kita di kemudian hari.
Tapi apapun yang terjadi, good or bad, kita perlu kepastian bahwa dia akan selalu ada di samping kita.
Being there, with us, through good and bad times.
Giliran gw tanya, "Gimana membuktikannya mpoook?",
Jawaban dia cuma "You should figure it out by yourself." Eaaaaa,,,,, --.--"

Nah karena si mpok ini pinter yaaa,,, dia dapet beasiswa kantor buat S2 di luar negeri.
Dan dia pilih Manchester, UK. Alasannya tentu saja biar bisa keliling Eropa,,,,
Hwaaaaaa,,,,,

Awal-awalnya, ikutan seneng. Kasih semangat pas dia harus test TOEFL, IELTS, GMAT.
Bantuin dan nemenin dia pas interview pake skype ama dekan universitasnya, malem-malem di kantor.
Tapi waktu itu belom berasa kalo si mpok ini mo pergi jauh.
Lalu datanglah bulan Agustus, ga kerasa sebulan lagi si mpok mo berangkat.
Yep, September dia berangkat ke UK.
Kemarin dia info juga kalo penggantinya bakal datang ke Cepu minggu depan untuk orientasi.
Oh wow,,,, her leaving is getting real each day.

I'm so gonna miss her a lot, and our conversation on her office after office hour,,,
Gosipan via bbm tiap rapat bareng (yep, kami bergosip di tengah rapat,,, :D)
Nonton Grey's Anatomy tiap malam di Star World sambil dibahas via bbm.
Paling seru waktu si Hunt selingkuh, hwaaaaa,,,, rame deh tuh bbman,,,
Centang-centung mencaci-maki si Hunt.

I'm gonna miss her, not only because she's my support system here, but because she's a best friend.
Wish you all the best of luck ya mpok,,,,, till we meet again,,, :')
*sniff-sniff,,, *elap airmata

What A Day!

Dines ke Jakarta kemaren, udah males ajah ngebayanginnya. Bukan ke Jakartanya ya, tapi acara dinesnyaaaa,,, Kalo ke Jakarta mah hayu ajah! Trayek kali ini direncanakan Kalibata-Kuningan-Kebon Nanas-Thamrin (atau sekitarnya). Ga kalah ama kopaja & busway. Saat berdoa, cuma minta diberi kesabaran dan kekuatan buat melewati hari Rabu lalu.
But hey, it turned out to be a great day! What a daaay,,, and I could say it's a happy day,,, *chickendance*
Happiness started at 3 am, sahur time. Karena nginep di Kalibata, sengaja janjian ketemuan ama @siindie buat sahur bareng. The newly wed came with her husband, dan sahur ber-4 lah kami di salah 1 warung di tower tetangga (ama @rhinotherhino dan Uda Jerry tentu saja). Catching up a little bit, since I hadn't came to their wedding.
Bahagianya masih berlanjut karena gw khatam Al Quran, alhamdulillaah,,, Mulainya udah sejak lama sih, sebelum Ramadhan. Biar lambat asal khatam :D
Meeting pertama hari itu, yang awalnya berasa maleusin, ternyata lancar jaya, bahkan inspiring. Bertemu ama bapak fungsi lain di kantor pusat, bahas proyek rempong yang cukup memutarbalikkan dunia kami di Cepu (halaaah!!). Mungkin karena kerjaan dia lebih rumit dari gw, setiap kendala yang gw sampaikan, direspon positif aja, and he was helpfull. I wish everyone in this company was just like you, pak,,,
Meeting kedua yang awalnya gw takut buat datengnya, ternyata lancar juga. Hasilnya juga sesuai ama yang diharapkan. Selesai meeting rasanya pengen lompat-lompat dan nari-nari, ehehehe,,,
Sambil nunggu meeting yang berikutnya, gw harus kirim email soal kerjaan laennya. Ini juga bikin gw agak keder and takut-takut. Tapi bos gw yang baik hati nan tidak sombong berkata "Gpp bu, jalan aja, yakin aja. Tujuan kita comply to regulation". And email was sent! Bismillah,,,
Meeting terakhir hari itu, lebih ke arah koordinasi. Masi berhubungan ama proyek rempong itu. Kalau ini gw ga takut, malah bertekat kuat buat ngegolin tujuan kami. Alhamdulillah lancar jugaaaaa,,, tinggal ngelanjutin yang udah kami kerjain selama ini.
Bahagia berikutnya adalah menyaksikan seorang wanita masuk Islam. Ceritanya nebeng sholat Dhuhur di musholla sebuah instansi, ikutan tausiyahnya. Eh di akhir tausiyah diumumin ada yang mau masuk Islam dan mengucap 2 kalimat syahadat. Lalu salah satu jamaah wanita diminta memandunya membaca 2 kalimat syahadat. Nah ibu-ibu jamaah lainnya cuek-cuek ajah. Ya udah akhirnya gw yang maju. Toh ini untuk hal yang baik. Membantu saudara kita untuk masuk Islam. Ikut terharu dan berkaca-kaca waktu bimbing baca syahadat. Yaaah, emang pada dasarnya gw lebay juga sih, hahahaha,,,,
Selese semua acara, akhirnya gw ngemall. Awalnya mau merayakan kebahagiaan dengan retail therapy a.k.a shopping! Tapi karena lagi insyaf dan inget blom bayar tagihan kartu kredit, gw memutuskan nonton ajah, "What To Expect When You're Expecting". Filmnya emak-emak, seputeran wanita-wanita hamil, wkwkwkwkwk,,,, Eh tapi lumayan bagus loooh, buat wanita tentunya. Walo benernya gw agak nyesel kenapah ga nonton The Double ajah, yang film action dan banyak lelaki gantengnya *teteuuup*.
Yang pasti, moral of this story is "The biggest obstacle is your mind. Don't let your mind trick you and make you believe things cannot be done." Yang penting usaha dulu, jangan berpikir ga bisa, susah atau ga mampu. You have bigger power and ability than what you know you already had. Do your best and let God do the rest, karena hanya Allah SWT yang Maha Besar dan Maha Kuasa,,, :))

Sejuta Syukur

Bulan Ramadhan selalu memberikan perasaan yang berbeda. Yang pasti, jadi lebih banyak berkontemplasi, mengingat Yang Maha Besar, segala kemurahan-Nya dan kebaikan-Nya. Betapa kecilnya kita, tidak ada artinya dibandingkan kebesaran-Nya.
Memang ya, dasar manusia. Sadar banget kalo yang namanya ibadah itu ga cuma di bulan Ramadhan. Tapi memang biasanya lebih intensif di bulan Ramadhan ini. Entah karena suasananya yang mendukung untuk beribadah, entah karena "pamrih" pahala di bulan suci ini.
Ramadhan kali ini yang ada di benak gw cuma satu, sejuta syukur. Setahun sejak Ramadhan terakhir, rasanya lebih banyak yang patut disyukuri daripada disesali. Syukur terbesar tentu saja karena bisa bertemu kembali dengan bulan Ramadhan kembali. Mungkin masih banyak dosa gw, sehingga Allah SWT memberi gw kesempatan untuk memperbaiki diri. Syukur berikutnya adalah kesehatan dan kesempatan untuk berkumpul bersama keluarga, Bapak, Ibu dan si ndut Rhino tersayang. Alhamdulillah Ramadhan tahun ini masih kami jalani berempat, walau berbeda lokasi, Jember, Cepu, Jakarta. Ibu memiliki peran terbesar sebagai perekat kami semua. Bbm rutin tiap sahur dan buka puasa. Ga pernah telat telepon gw jam 3 pagi, memastikan gw ga ketiduran. Dan nyuruh gw telepon Rhino, memastikan si ndut itu ga ketiduran juga. Syukur selanjutnya bervariasi, soal kerjaan, sahabat, rejeki, dsb.
Gw masih di Cepu sih yaaa,,, tapi banyak teman dan sahabat. Mulai merasa nyaman disini, yang berarti harus siap-siap pindah, hahaha,,,, Begitulah perusahaan ini, once you thought you've settled down, they moved you to another place,,, -.-" Ohyaaaa,,, eventually gw mo pindah sih, pindah rumaaaaah,,, hehehe,,, Dalam rangka penghematan perusahaan, akhirnya gw disuruh masuk rumah dinas dan tunjangan rumah dicabut. It's OK. Kinda excited, karena setelah 4.5 tahun kerja, baru kali ini gw bakal ngerasain masuk rumah dinas. I'll share about the new house later on yaaaa,,,
Soal kerjaan, tantangan datang silih berganti. Gw merasa udah lebih santai dari tahun-tahun sebelumnya. Entah karena udah jenuh, entah karena makin jago ngeles, huahahaha,,, Tapi segitunya gw ngerasa santai ya, orang-orang masih menilai gw terlalu serius dan "uptight". Hadeuuuu,,, gw cengkri-cengkri aja kali yeee biar lebih nyantai kaya di pantai. Yang pasti gw sedang belajar untuk tidak overthinking about all things. Ibu kemarin bilang kalo sekarang dahi gw berkerut-kerut, tidak baek untuk kecantikan jangka panjang,,, :D So I need to slowing down and not rushing on things, and not overthinking. Maybe smiling a little bit more,,, :))
Ohya, satu lagi rasa syukur gw, bahwa sahabat gw @sarisyarif sudah menikah dan ini Ramadhan pertamanya dengan suami. Ramadhan selalu identik dengan Sari karena dulu kami sahur dan buka bareng di Wisma Anggrek, Jakarta. Jadi suka nonton Para Pencari Tuhan juga karena sahur bareng Sari. So happy for you, Sariiii,,, :')) Semoga Ramadhan kali ini barokah untuk Sari dan Aul, Amiin ya Robbal Alamin.
Owkaaaay, sudah jam 5 lewat, saatnya gw mandi dan menyelesaikan tantangan hari ini. Happy fasting, you all,,,

Ganti Motor

Di parkiran motor kantor di suatu sore setelah bel pulang, seorang temen kantor menyapa dengan hebohnya,,,

Temen kantor (T) : Ciyeeee mba Rizka motornya baruuuu,,,,
Gw : Ha? Baru apaan mas? (ga ngerasa beli motor baru)
T : Iyaaaa,,, ini motornya baru kan? Warna merah pulaaaa,,,
Gw : Laah, dari dulu juga warnanya merah mas,,,
T : Ah masa siiih? (Ekspresi kaget) Bukannya dulu warnanya item ya???
Gw : -.-"

*damn, sebuluk itukah motor gwwww???*
*semprot2airkemotormerah*

Sent from my iPhone

a best friend

you know you've found a best friend when they're always there anytime you need them
i think i found one here,,, thankfully,,,
he never talked much
but each time i said i had a bad day today, he said "let's eat!"
and i'll tell him all my problems while we eat
he just listens
i just need to be listened

and that's why when last night i was prepared to stay at home and watching TV,
i cancelled it the minute he texted me "let's eat!"
i knew he had a bad day yesterday
and that his text message was a calling for a friend
he just needed to be listened

why did i consider him as a best friend instead of my other friends here?
we have different religion and cultural background
but i know i can trust him
and i can tell him everything, from work things to personal things, and life in general
he's never judged, but he always tells the truth, all the good or bad things
he'll tell me whenever i'm wrong or right, no hidden agenda
and i'll do the same

we've never mixed the friendship with work things
but we'll constantly remind each other
because we know each other's concerns
and we're coordinating very well

in this office, when you don't know anymore who you can trust or depend on,
a friend and colleague like this is very precious
thank's for being here bro,,,

Ngabur

Percakapan absurd di sore hari, sejam sebelum bel pulang, antara gw, temen A dan temen B :
Temen A : hadeuuuu,,, bosen gw di lapangan,,,
(dia emang kerjanya di lapangan)
Gw : iya niiiy gw jg boseen,,, liat deh tumpukan kertas kerjaan iniiih,,,,
(gw, lebaaay seperti biasa)
Temen B : hooh, gw juga jenuh nih,,,
(dia kerjanya di kantor mulu)
Out of nowhere serempak aja kita ngomong,,, "Cabut yuuuukkks,,, ngabuuuuur"
Hahaha,,,, semangat banget deh pokoknya, berasa kaya SMA dulu, bandel pengen bolos,,,
Tapi percakapan berikutnya ngga banget,,,,
Gw : tapi kita mo ngabur kemana, teman2? Cepu gettoooo,,,
Temen B : kalo orang Jakarta ngajaknya "nyetarbak yuuks" kalo di cepu mana ada?
Temen A : ngejus? Ehehehehe biar sehat tauuuu,,,,
Temen B : jangaaan,,, ngebakso malang ajah,,,
Gw : -.-"
Yah intinya kami ga jadi ngabur, karena ga jelas juga mo kabur kemana. Kemana pun kami cengkri2 pasti ketauan. Juga karena absensi sekarang pake finger scan, ga bisa titip absen, hihihihihi,,,,
Gantinya, kami hang out ajah sepulang kantor. Ngebakso. Teteup.... :D
Sent from my iPhone

Seranina (3)

Sebelum si cantik mulai mewek cari papanya :D

Seranina (2)

Finally met the cutest baby ever!!! *smooch*

Yang Lama dan Baru

Teman lama, teman baruuuu,,,

Seranina

The cutest baby ever!!!! *smooch*

Acceptance

I'm supposed to be working today but the temptation to write on my blog is so big I can't resist
What the heck,,,, need to share some thoughts here,,,

So I'm still in the middle of a management training in Semarang
The last couple days we're taught about management,
like leadership, business communication, team work, decision making, etc.
Not only in classroom but also through some games and outdoor activities.

The common thing of those subject is about empathy and sympathy
We should treat people the same way we wanna be treated
We should listen to other's opinion
We should learn that we need other people,
that as a social creature, we, human, need to interact with other human
We should have empathy and sympathy for others.
That doesn't mean that we should follow what other's think or do
But at least we listen to them, respect their opinion, gather all the information
Then we can make a decision what we should do

In my opinion, the theory is applicable not only in business terms, but also in our daily life
We should realize that we're not the center of the universe
We can't always have what we want
And we shouldn't think less of others, before we can walk in their shoes
If you wanna be treated as a princess, treat others like a king or queen
If you want other people care for you, maybe you should start to care for others

And in this company, where people come and go in a short notice,
We travel a lot, move to new places, meet new faces in a constant periode,
Empathy and sympathy are very important,
So we can adapt easily, accept the changes, the new places, the new people.

And in terms of friendship, I found out that I do love meeting new friends
Meeting new people, getting to know their stories, learning their characters,
And finally, accepting them just the way they were.
And living in small town like Cepu (well,,, it's not even a town actually,,,,)
Friends are what makes you rich and fulfilled.
I was so depressed in my early year in Cepu, coz I was feeling lonely and alone against the world
But last year was different,
I had new friends, new activities and my life was happier, easier.
The acceptance on both sides will make everything easier

And it's them that make the ride in Cepu worthwhile,,, :)

malming di cepu

pernahkah telintas di pikiran kalian, kalo malming gini, anak gaul cepu ngapain aja siy?
hahaha,,, kayanya engga yaaa,,, ga penting banget siy,,,
well, secara gw bukan anak gaul cepu, gw juga ga tau deh jawabannya
coz mostly i spent my saturday night at home,
gegoleran di kamar sambil nonton tipi or dipidi,
ngemil, makan es krim dan ngadem nyalain ac kamar.

tapi pernah juga kok kita sengaja ngumpul di kantor, karaokean sampai malem
kita disini refers to gw dan anak gaul kantor gw
*tsaaaahhh,,,
pernah juga saking dead-style-nya (mati gaya, -red.) kita naik mobil ke blora
mo cari makan mie ayam yang konon kaya bakmi gm
tapi ternyata tutup, jadi makan sate sapi dan beli martabak manis

nah malming kali ini kayanya termasuk malming dead-style itu
acara tipi kaga ada yang bagus,
stok dipidi kaga ada yang baru
jadi gw, yunchai dan big bro leo berencana mo jalan2
blom tau kemananya, hahahaha
paling juga pol2an ke indomaret lagi,,, #eeeaaa

jadi seperti yang gw cerita di awal, emang pertanyaan ga penting
kaga bakal ada yang wondering juga soalnyaaaa,,,, -.-"
#abaikan

2012 New Year's Eve

Teh Nila & me

Well helloooo 2012,,,
We finally met! ;)
All of best wishes through out the year .
And this is my first blog for 2012, hopefully I can be more productive and proactive in writing and sharing.

I spent the new year's eve in Kuala Lumpur (KL), just because I need to see a dearest friend, someone who knew me well and I haven't met for a long time, Teh Nila. We were together as MDPers of PermataBank and house mates in Wisma Anggrek. To make the long story short, she's married and followed her husband to KL. I'll try to summarize my trip there,,,

THE REASON
I need vacation so bad. Some place to get away, to clear up and refresh my mind. After a crazy working year, after those weeks of overtime preparing SMI certification. And knowing that 2012 will be a crazier year, it's the right time to have vacation and having a lot of fun.

THE DESTINATION & AIRPLANE TICKETS
So I decided to have vacation to KL, and meet up with Teh Nila. I actually flew to KL with Air Asia, the best low cost airplane in Asia. But I got my tickets in last minutes so I got it in a veeeerrrryyyyyy expensive price. D*mn! But Sari said, consider it as a reward to myself. It's not that expensive if it's compared to my hardwork. Preett! :D But thank's Sari, I've chosen to listen to your advice.

THE PREPARATION

Now, considering I should pay a lot for the tickets, I decided not to have a checked-in-baggage, cause I have to pay an extra money for that. So I have to travelling light, only bring a small suitcase and keep it in cabin. It also means I can't bring a lot of stuffs and can't shop a lot. Well, I'm not in a mood to shop anyway. Surprisingly, I can do that! Oh wooow,,, my suitcase was only half-full when I departed to KL. And of course it's full when I got back,,, eheheheh,,,
Teh Nila said that she couldn't pick me up at the airport so I had to figure out the transportation from LCCT to her condo in KLCC. Thank's to her advice and Google, I found the schedule, route and fare from LCCT to KLCC.

THE DEPARTURE DAY
Here comes the long travelling day from Cepu to KL... On December 31st, 2011, I woke up really early in the morning just to catch the first train to Pasar Turi Surabaya, KA Cepu Ekspress at 4.55 am. It costs Rp 25.000,-  only, but comfy. The flight from Surabaya to KL took 2.5 hours and it.was.scaryyyyy!! A passenger's cellphone was on during the flight, because it rang 30 minutes before we landed. Oh my,,,,,
Alhamdulillah we finally landed safely,,, From LCCT I took Skybus to KL Sentral, only RM 9 and about an hour away, and then from KL Sentral I took LRT to KLCC station, only RM 1.6 and 20 minutes away. And Teh Nila picked me up at KLCC station, walking about 5 minutes to her condo, which is located right behind the KLCC station. It was 6 pm already,,, what a day,,,

THE NEW YEAR'S EVE

The fireworks was awesome! Went to KLCC park with Teh Nila and Rita (her sister in law) and tried to blend in with the crowd,,,

Overall, this trip was fun. Mostly because of Teh Nila and her family. We've got a lot of things to catch up. We talked about the past, present and future. Our hopes, challenges, feelings, sadness, and happiness.

Although a lot of things going on around you lately, you look happy Teh,,,, It's good to see you happy, cause you're a good and fun person to be with and you deserve all the happiness,,,, :)

Till we meet again dearest Teh Nila,,,,

And all the hard work is paid off,,,

Alhamdulillah,
Akhirnya selesai juga sertifikasi Sistem Manajemen Integrasi.
Banyak ceritanya yaaa,,,
Tapi kalo udah selesai gini yang keinget cuma seru dan lucu2nya.
Alhamdulillah,
Tim SMI kami kompak, bukan cuma pas lembur, tapi juga ke lomba karaoke.
Kasi semangat pak MR yang akhirnya juara 2, hohoho,,,,
Congratulation guys,,, everything seemed possible with you all,,, :)

The Good, The Bad and The I-Don't-Care

"Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn" - Rhett Butler

Since we're a little kid, we've been taught about the good and the bad. That it's important for us to be good, to our parents, to our friends, to our environment, and to God. That we should treat others with empathy and sympathy. That we should treat others the way we want to be treated. Otherwise, we're just being bad.

But those lessons  didn't taught us about what to be expected. Sometimes things don't go the way we want it to be. Sometimes people just don't treat us the way we want to be treated. But hey,,, we are not the center of the universe. That's the lesson of life. Even John Lennon said, "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans".

When your good is not good enough for some people, when they judge you easily without even giving you any explanation, you can be The Bad, you know. They've judged you anyway. So why should bother? But for me, I'm just stoned. My heart just frozen.  I don't even care. It's just a way to reach a peaceful mind, considering a peaceful mind is the most important thing (quote from Mba Izah,,, :) )

Moral of this posting is : Don't try to understand someone if it makes you tired. Cause life is too short and you won't be able to move on.

Happy fasting, y'all,,,,,

the great escape (3) - marina bay area and sentosa island

lazy blogger's note :
months later and i'm still not finishing the sory of my trip to sincapow which was happening on january 2011. i blame it on my works and tv cable for having such interesting tv series, hahaha,,, happy reading, folks!


day 1 - senin
memulai pagi dengan beraaaaat,,,, tapi tetep aja jam 5 pagi (waktu indonesia barat) kebangun. setelah melototin peta, baca buku dan diskusi ama wulan, rute hari ini diputuskan sebagai berikut : merlion - marina bay sands - universal studio - song of the sea. so basically today we're hanging out around marina bay area and sentosa island only,,,

perbekalan hari ini  : peta kota dan jalur MRT, buku tentang singapore, ez-link card (yang bisa dipake buat naek bus juga), payung (pinjeman dari wulan) serta air mineral dan biskuit. oh ya,,, kartu MRT dapet pinjeman juga, hihihi,,, gw minjem dari munadi (temen kantor) dan indah minjem dari wulan. trus air mineral dan biskuit beli di seven eleven di deket MRT station Khatib, deket rumah nino & wulan. seven eleven ini yah kan lagi ngehits banget di jakarta, jadi tempat nongkrong and tempat gaul abg gitu. padahal di sincapow ini seven eleven tersebaaaaaar dimana-mana. yaaaaa,,,, kaya indomaret kalo di cepu gitu, hihihihi,,,,

petunjuk dari wulan, kalo naik MRT turun di stasiun Raffles Place. keluar dari sana udah keliatan sungainya, tinggal ikutin jalan di sepanjang sungai itu dan kami akan menemukan si Merlion. dengan pedenya kami turun di Raffles Place, naik tangga ke atas dan tadaaaaaa,,,,,, menemukan gedung-gedung tinggi perkantoran. mana sungainyaaaaaaa? nah loooo,,,, ternyata kami keluar di pintu yang berbeda ama yang wulan maksud. Notetoself #1 : ada lebih dari 1 pintu keluar MRT station. perhatikan petunjuk arah.


nanya sana-sini, baru tau kalo sungai yang dimaksud adalah di jalan seberang. kami mondar mandir cari jembatan penyeberangan or zebra cross. ga ada boooow,,,, sampai cape ndiriiii,,, setelah nanya lagi, ternyata masuk Fullerton Hotel dulu, di dalamnya ada underpass ke seberang. Notetoself #2 : di sincapow, nyeberang ga cuma lewat atas tapi bisa lewat bawah tanah.

dan ketemulah itu sungai dan si merlion! dimulailah foto-foto narsis, norak, ga penting, dengan background Marina Bay Sands Building, Merlion, Esplanade. oh yaaaa soal pepotoan ini, susyeee deh berfoto berdua kalo perginya cuma berdua, hahahaha,,,,, udah pake timer, pose, senyum manis, eeeh ada yang lewat, hadeeuuuuu,,,,,

Emang sholehah mba ini, sempet wudhu di Merlion,,, :D 

Iya, itu Marina Bay Sands Building ya teman-teman,,,

setelah keabisan gaya, kami melanjutkan perjalanan ke Marina Bay Sands Building, masi pake MRT, walopun cuma berjarak 1 stasiun dari Raffles Place. ya abisnyaaaa ga tau dan ga pede pake transportasi lain. mo naek becak, ga ada becak, mo naek taksi, takut sakit ati saking mahalnyaaa,,,

di MBS kami beli tiket untuk ke skyparknya,,,, keren abiiiiis,,, walo hujan turun dengan lebatnya,,, hahaha,,,, dari pagi udah mendung sih,,, dan tepat saat kami berada di puncak MBS, hujan turun dengan indahnya. tapi kami bertekat ga akan membiarkan hujan menghalangi jalan-jalan ini. setelah foto-foto dengan susyenyaaaa,,, sampai minta bantuan mas2 bule biar punya foto berdua,,, kami lanjut ke sentosa island. Universal Studio, here we come!

universal studio singapore niy kaya dufan but perhaps 5 times bigger! we took a lot of photos there,,, dimana-mana, dengan apa saja dan sapa aja, hehehehe,,, mulai Charlie Chaplin, Frankenstein, patung Firaun, patung T-rex, etc. paling seru masuk wahana-nya The Mummy. roller coaster di terowongan, cukup bikin pusing dan mengocok perut. fotonya jeleeeek bangeeeet! akhirnya ga kita cetak deh, abis malu-maluin. keliatan takut, seru, seram, tegang, gituuuu,,, :D

disini kami juga kena jebakan betmen, heuheuheuheu,,,,, ceritanya masuk wahana Enchanted. kirain games lucu-lucuan, putri-putrian. ternyataaaaa,,,,,,, (not) another roller coaster,,,, *__*  anyways,,,, it was a lot of fun,,,, and shopping,,, *teteuuuup*

eitssss,,,,, the day is not over yet,,,,, abis dari universal studio, kami masi lanjut nonton Song of The Sea. jadi ya, ini shownya di pinggir pantai dan ujan masih turun dengan lebatnya. hadeuuuuuu,,,,, tapi maju terus pantang munduuuur!! tetep nonton dooooong, dengan memakai jas hujan gratisan yang dibagikan ama pake payung,,, niat abis lah,,,, hujan badai ga akan jadi penghalang.

sampai rumah nino & wulan udah malem banget, dan nino masi bangun, nungguin kami pulang. rasanya kaya ditungguin bokap pulang, hahahaha,,,, thank's a bunch ya noooo,,,, mahap teman-temanmu ini merepotkanmu,,, (basa-basi busuk, kata nino) :D

the great escape (2) - almost unreal,,,

okaaaay,,, so here comes the D-day! hari minggu, hari dimulainya the great escape,,, :D

gw udah sampai Jakarta sehari sebelumnya, sabtu siang, nebeng di tempat Indah. selain untuk memudahkan koordinasi, juga karena rhino, si ade tersayang, lagi liburan ke penang, hahahaha,,, gw ga ada tebengan bow,,, hari sabtu adalah hari persiapan, packing, tuker duit ke money changer, cari pesenan wulan & nino. hari minggu pagi masih dilanjut lagi siap-siapnya. oh yaaa,,, kita beli tiket Universal Studio secara online juga baru hari minggu ini, dan siangnya cari warnet buat ngeprint.

tiket, passport, koper, ransel, duit, novel, semua siap. sepertinya ready to go lah yaaaaa,,,, but the truth, i wasn't. jadi yaaaa,,, ada pe-er yang harus gw selesaikan dan gw emailkan sebelum gw cuti. gw udah cicil dari jauh-jauh hari tapi ga kelar-kelar. sampai 1 jam sebelum kami berangkat ke airport, gw masih berkutat ama laptop dan pe-er itu. dan setengah jam kemudian, akhirnya bisa gw selesaiin dan gw emailin kepada pihak yang berwenang, ohohohoho,,,,,

naaaah,,, berangkatlah kami ke airport, happy, excited, and sleepy. waktu ditanya supir taksinya, terminal berapa, dengan pede kami menjawab terminal 3, secara tiketnya air asia gettooo. ternyata salah dong, hahahaha,,,, *merasa bodoh*  si mba2 air asianya sampai panik sendiri, karena udah tinggal 30 menit menuju jam keberangkatan pesawat. begitu sampai di terminal yang seharusnya, 2D, masih harus antri imigrasi trus gatenya jauuuuh dan di ujuuuuuung. dari masih di imigrasi, udah diumumin kalo pesawat kami udah dateng dan akan segera berangkat. lari-lari deeeeh sepanjang jalan. sampai  pesawat udah keabisan napas duluan, hosh....hosh....hosh....

Testing Kate

kebiasaan gw tiap gw pergi, kemanapun, adalah bawa bacaan. majalah, novel, komik, pokoknya bacaan. rasanya ada yang kurang kalo ga bawa. untuk vacay kali ini gw memilih novel "Testing Kate", novel hadiah dari @andreeanee. ceritanya ga berat, tipe chicklit gitu, bahasa inggrisnya juga mudah dipahami, jadi cucok banget buat suasana liburan dan santai,,, dan buku ini yang menemani gw sepanjang penerbangan selama 1 jam 40 menit.





and touch down Changi,,,, yaaay!! the airport was big and busy. tapi banyak tanda penunjuk arah. jadi tinggal ngikutin ajah, ga bakalan nyasar, hehehe,,, di luar nino & wulan udah jemput dan kami ngikut mereka pulang pake bis. it was late at night when we arrived at their house, about half past midnight. padahal besok paginya nino harus ngantor. mahaaap ya noooooo,,,,,, :)

Indah, me and Wulan

alhamdulillah akhirnya sampai sincapow juga,,,
berasa kabayan saba kota, hahahaha,,,,

the great escape (1) - a reward to myself

Kalo baca judulnya, kesannya gw kabur dari apaaa gitu, hehehe,,,
Eh tapi emang bener, gw baru ngabur dari kenyataan hidup,,, *halah!*

My great escape was planned since August 2010, together with my partner in crime, @iindadah. A trip to Singapore on January 2011. This was a holiday that we've been waiting for. A reward for ourselves, for our hardwork throughout 2010. And a fresh start for 2011.

Both of us had travelled a lot, for works. But this time, it's all planned and financed by us, not the company. The satisfaction is different.
Dan tentu saja kekacauan yang terjadi berbeda juga, hohohoho,,, But that was the escape all about, to have fun and enjoy the journey.

Marina Bay Sands SkyPark

I will share the story for each day of our escape on next posts. And also the other side of the story. Overall,,, it was a hell-of-fun,,, :)

A bunch of thanks to our dearest friends, @ninovsnino and @wulanwicaksono, for picking up us on the airport on our arrival, for having us at their home, and making our stay a pleasant and memorable one. Maafkan kamiiii sudah merepotkan, tapi jangan kapok yaaa,,, Hahahaha,,,, ☺