Lunar New Year 2014

Lunar New Year or more famously known as Chinese New Year, is the new year based on the Chinese Calendar whose months are coordinated the cycles of the moon.
It's also marking the end of the winter season and moving on to the spring season.

The Lunar New Year doesn't have a fixed date on our calendar, but usually fall in the month of January or February. This year the Lunar New Year was celebrated on January 31st.

The Chinese in Indonesia celebrated it with going to the temple on the New Year's eve to pray.
The Kwan Im Temple located in 10 Ulu is one of the oldest Chinese temple in Palembang. Every New Year's eve the temple is more crowded than any other days and the decoration make it looks very different and feel like it's somewhere abroad.
I also try my best to go to the temple every New Year's eve, because I don't go to temple a lot. I'm such a sinner ^^;

Here's a few pictures from the Kwan Im Temple.

A stroll in this parking lot, then you'll reach the temple.

More larger area of the parking lot. The smoke came from the giant incense being burnt at the very far end of the land/dock, facing the Musi River.

The quest of blessing started right here.

Interior of the temple.

Super giant incense were placed and burnt right at the edge of the dock facing the Musi river.

The celebration of the Lunar New Year is different in each places, including in Indonesia. Usually the celebration last for 15 days. In China, people take day-off from their jobs for a full 15 days, sometimes even more. In Indonesia only the very first day of the Lunar New Year is accounted for the National Holiday. This year is extra special because it was landed on Friday therefore, it became a long weekend holiday (yay!).

In Palembang itself, we usually decorated our house, preparing foods & drinks for guests who came visiting our house. Because of this, a day or two days before the New Year was the busiest day.

Usually on the first day, people go visit their family & relatives, on second day they go visit their friends & co-workers. In my case, most of my family & relatives live outside Palembang, we simply just welcoming guests at our house on the first day. Most of the guests are my parents' friends, business related friends, and some (very) extended family. On the second day, I went to some friends' houses and then they visited my house too.

It's a different experience as you know, not everyday you get a bunch of people to visit your house. Lol. 

Next Japan Trip ?

From my last August trip to Tokyo, I completely fall in love even more with Japan.

So I plan the next Japan trip and this time I have to explore the other city next compared to Tokyo, Osaka.

I search through internet about Osaka, where should I visit and stuff. Namba & Umeda is already on the list. I'm also thinking to have a 1-day trip to Kyoto to visit Kiyomizudera.

Any suggestion about Osaka? If you do, I highly appreciate it! Please leave your message about Osaka so I can broaden up my list.

Thank you.

Just a few rants, please bear with me.

Before I go on let me just say something. Sorry if you'll get confused when you're reading my blog. I can only tell you that I'm not the best writer, I even admit that I'm a lousy writer.
Even though I live in San Francisco for 7 years, my grammar doesn't get any better. That's why I enjoy talking more than writing, ha!
So, please bear with me if you get confused with my writing. If you find it too confusing, don't hesitate to comments and ask questions.

Let's move on.

Okay, I promise you to share my journey to Japan in here. I already posted the pre-journey experience on my previous entry, and the next one is coming, I promise!
I'm still writing it down on my Word document. Honestly I'm a little lazy to do it, to write and recall all the memories back then. But heck, let's just do it.

I'm not about to talk on that today. I'm going to rant about the experience I have with someone.
Someone that I often call him "Yes Man". You probably feeling familiar with that term. In fact that's the title of Jim Carrey's movie.
This person is pretty much like Jim Carrey character. He often answers "Yes" to every offer that me or my other friends asked. But when the time come to actually do the actual job, he always gets away with bunch of excuses. For example; (this happened quite often), I asked him to accompany me to go somewhere because I got nothing to do. I asked him few days before so he could manage his schedule ahead. Every time I asked him, in a second he replied "yes, let's go". During the day that we finally plan to go, he never texted me to inform what time he's going to pick me up or what's the plan for today. Until I texted him and ask, "are we really going to that place today?", and he's going to simply answer me, "I'm still not sure, if you want to go just go, don't wait for me." WTF?
Happens so many times, that now I only treat him like a fool and joker.

All I can say is, if you want a good impression among your friends don't just easily promise others with your "yes". Think carefully upon answering other, you don't want to make yourself look like a brainless grown-ups.

5 days in Tokyo (and beyond) – Pre-trip Drama.

The actual trip took place in August, but I had so many things going on after that, I forgot to write it down in here.

This trip was actually a spontaneous move that I did with my friend. I was actually planned to go to Japan on November. But the companion that about to go together are around 8 people of 2 families, and both of the families also related to each other. In other words, I’m the only stranger (in term of blood-relation) among them. Aside from that, I wasn’t too comfortable with that amount of people to travel with. Too many people = too many conflict of interest.

Around January or February, one of my friend (Dee) who works and lives in Singapore texted me, asked whether if I want to go to Japan during Hari Raya holiday, which was in early August.

I was so surprised and thinked that my dream of going to Japan was about to happen! But then Dee told me that she would have to confirm to me on how long the trip will be since she haven’t ask for her leave yet.

So I couldn’t proceed to book the ticket and hotel yet.

We were just guessing and roughly put a 7-day itinerary. I was doing all the research on the places that we wanted to visit. Yep, I’m that type of person who like to do the paperworks. HA!

I was so excited that I was done with the 7-day itinerary. I even timed out the hours and stuff. But then came the bummer, Dee told me that she only got 5 days off. I was a tad disappointed, but the plan must go on.

We squeezed everything in 5 days, including cutting down visits to other cities like Kyoto & Sendai. We just wanted to concentrate on exploring Tokyo & around.

While I was on a euphoria state, counting days to August, suddenly on April (if I’m not wrong) Dee texted me, said that she might have to cancel her Tokyo trip with me because her company got a big project ahead.

At that time, I felt like the time when I broke up with my boyfriend (kind of), the point is everything was so wrong that I almost couldn't think.

I was so confused, what should I do because the plane ticket was not refundable.

Then I asked my sis (DJ) whether she could accompanied me to Tokyo. Luckily, she agreed to do so. Only to found out that the cheap plane ticket was all sold out! So, she had to buy the (very) expensive one.

Few days after that, Dee informed me that their project has been postponed until further notice, meaning that YAY! WE’RE ALL GOING TO TOKYO! NO MORE PRE-TRIP DRAMA!

What a relief…*phew*

Everybody is happy, we’re going to Tokyo, yay! :D

Customer service is not the best part of Indonesian hospitality.

Here is my story dealing with the customer service in Indonesia.

It happened around last week, when I was in Jakarta. I was visiting Galeries Lafayette at Pacific Place, and found this very cute Marc By Marc Jacobs (MBMJ) shoes which I've been searching for since last year.
(Note: Indonesia tends to get rather late season in the retail industry. I already saw this shoes at MBMJ Singapore store LAST YEAR but couldn't find my size so I didn't buy it.)
I was rather skeptical at first that they're not going to have my size. Then the sales told me that "this is just in" and I was surprised because I already saw it last year in Singapore.
I asked her to get my number and they got it. I tried it and it was perfect fit and so comfy. Because I've been searching for it and it's comfy enough for a designer's brand, I decided to bought it.

FYI, this is a designer's shoes; meaning, it's not cheap. I'm not trying to brag, but it will come across my point later.

After I paid for my shoes, they told me to bring the invoice with my membership card to the customer service office up stairs to add more points.
Before I did that, I bought some pants, and while I was at the cashier the lady behind it told me that she could asked one of the sales to took my card and invoice to the customer service office to do the adding points thingy. I told her it was not necessary, I could do that by my own. She said, it was okay, it was part of their job. I insist that I could do that by myself, no need to troublesome them. SHE KEPT INSISTING TO OFFER ME THAT. Okay, I couldn't take her stubborn-attitude, so I let it slide.
I agreed and thanked her. She called another salesperson to took my card and the invoice to the CS office. I suddenly remember the invoice from MBMJ shoes, so I gave it to her and told her to accumulate it with the pants' invoice.
Before she handed it to her friend, she read the invoice. SHE READ THE INVOICE. And asked me what is this.
I have a nature of when people asked, I just replied to them--as honest as I could. Since I didn't expect what's her next comments, I simply answered her; "shoes".
Then she replied me this:
"Just a pair of shoes?"
"Yes." (me)
"Oh my. This is so expensive. Even my monthly salary couldn't afford this. Oh my."
I believe I was having a poker face at that moment. So I calmly answered her; "I've been searching for this shoes everywhere. So I think it's worth it."
She smiled at me politely and then handed over the invoice to her co-worker.

I told my cousin right away after that. She told me that the cashier-lady's comments was so not appropriate. I totally agree. I'm not blaming her for her opinion, I was angry at how she said it out loud in front of the customer. She should kept it to herself, or maybe gossiping about it behind customer's back, I don't care.
She almost made me felt guilty from buying the shoes. Heck!

I don't think I'm an adventurer (backpacker)

I've been reading blogs from foreigners who live in Indonesia, and most of them are English teachers. 

(FYI: I read and comments on their blogs, I'm not stalking them, get that straight!)

The thing that amazed me is, how they are so free-spirited, and they are dare to explore Indonesia until the very remote part of this country.

I'm talking about the life of backpacking travel. How they are willing to take a small-almost hole in the wall hostel, trekking inside the jungle, or even hike 'til the top of the mountain.

Their spirit for the adventure amazed me, and it really says: "life is short, travel more."

But I'm different. I love to travel, but I don't think I'm that backpacker type. 

Some of my excuses: 

I can't travel light

Seriously, this is my bad bad habit. I always stressing out on what clothes should I bring whenever I'm about to fly somewhere. At the end, it ended up too much at my suitcase.

Those small hostel/motel creep me out.

Not to say the effect of American's horror/thriller movies. But really, I don't like to sleep in a bed with dirty matreess and dirty bathroom. 

No time, no companion.

It said it all.

A habit from I was a little kid?

Every time there was an invitation to a school camping in the wild (during my elementary school days), my dad won't allow me to participate. Well, my dad is very protective to his daughters, even until now.

And because I already feel comfort in how the way I travel, I start to lose interest on the idea of 'backpacking'.

But that's my personal thought. Aside from it, to the English teachers in Indonesia, bravo to you guys and keep doing what you enjoy doing. :)

Bummer...

Today I arrived in Jakarta for my tri-monthly chores. And just when I arrived at the place where I usually stay (my uncle's house), I found out that they changed their wi-fi system.

Bummer, total bummer.

So the new wi-fi system is kinda suck big time. I can only browse the internet in the living room area. No air-con, just fan, and with the loyal companion from the beloved mosquitos.
Before, I could access the wi-fi from the bedroom where I sleep, with 16C air-con and lots of privacy. And it's gone now. Yep, no more wi-fi & internet inside the bedroom. Gotta do it in the public area.

Geez.

Now I feel missing my own home in Palembang already.