After a while which seems already too long, tonight I could at least repeat the moment of togetherness with friends that have accompanied me for recent years. We hanged out, chatted, dined, watched movies, laughed, made fun, told stories to each other, we shared our fun! I felt like travelling a bit to the past. Blissful, no other word can describe it.

I posted a lot in months before that I wished nothing would ever change, but nevertheless everything always changes. Everyone is in the sprint, shedding every sweats to be the prodigy in everything they’re doing. Some is engaged in a new possibilities in their love relationships. One finally find a way to make up his lost time. I don’t know, but it just feels like a novel. A story about the circle of friendship which is now up high in their dreams, in what seems like an endless pursue.

We’re young still, we have the energy for it, we just started our life, and we gradually realize that we’re already in the highway of leaving our childhood. The old stage is over. Where are are? Which path we’re going to take in this very intersection? We have all the means and possibilities to choose. But as free as we may to go, everyone may start do disengage. That’s how I feel.

It may seem invisible, but gap is growing overtime. I did not care that much when I graduated from high school and I had faced the consequences. It’s not even saddening now. In fact, the attachment may have been lost in the process that I feel grieveful of nothing. I don’t want this to happen this time. I grow to be a mature, although in every chance I have, I always try to deny it, hence I should be able to take a good care of it this time. I come to believe more and more that one of the happiest person is the person who is able to maintain the relationships he has, though in some cases he may have to choose.

Still, time is the foe. Since I was a child, I had always wished that a day could be like 36, no 48 hours. Now i’m almost 22, it doesn’t change. But, a day also hasn’t changed. It still only has its 24 hours for us to spend. I’ve been getting lots of complain recently that I’m forgetting someone, or putting someone aside for another thing / person. If there were five of me, and I had more than 1440 minutes to split in a day, I’d be glad to spend everything evenly for myself, my family, my friends, my girl, my work, my hobbies, and even to the funny cats I encounter on the road. Well, I have no clone nor I can change the time. I can just try to do my best to share my time at my best.

This fun day was even already far from perfect to be real. The number has a minus two tagged with it, as a proof on how time has no mercy for everything which is immortal. It’s a growing concern within, seeing how everyone is so attached with their life, work and even love that it may be even far harder to reunite every individual. There may be no more day for friends even in the weekends in the near future, instead morphed into the lovey dovey night for each pairs.

Even so, I always wish that one day, we would be able to once again fly back with our time capsule to the time it was. I always believe that the pitiful quarrel that has been going for months will end, because honestly it’s already that harsh to decide to split the time in every moment in between until now. Why do I have to choose between A or B when actually it’s that meaningless to even to be having to? For the me of this moment, they are just as important.

One that seems so essential for now may be totally forgotten in the future. It’s completely possible, We may not even care that we once had this, one day. Whether this will stay, become better once more, or instead turn into a sour lead, it’s definitely upon us to decide. Good night!

This is written while I’m on the flight from Singapore to Jakarta ending my another month stay there (which makes it two months with a week break). The journey home this time gives a very different sensation unlike the prior’s. No excited feeling of returning to your home country before. No craving for here and there, the hocus pocus of Jakarta. I guess staying too long in a place could overthrow your feeling of discomfort, and creates total attachment eventually.

I’m starting to miss lots of things, wandering in thoughts. I have been starting to get accustomed to the food, environment, culture, certainly. Though actually I still end up complaining here and there, “What sorta rubbish I’m eating here!”, “I pay this much for this?!”, or giving complete approval to Astrid’s fav quote: “The customer service here if not ZERO then MINUS!”.

I made more and more friends here whom I’ll miss their laughters. I found some spots of liking, to stay quietly to go through the day, sitting idly and daydreaming. I haven’t watched Song of the Sea, gone to the Henderson wave, Mount Faber and saw the garden there. And moreover, I still have so many unanswered questions, leaving this anxiousness crawling with me, the philosophy of understanding human heart they say.

It’s indeed not as easy as before.

But here I am now on voyage to home, sitting close the plane window while typing this. I have the companion sitting next to me: this kind old lady who still look young and beautiful. She mentioned she’s currently the headmaster of Dian Harapan School in Lippo Karawaci, coming to Singapore to accompany her relative for skin cancer theraphy. I may spend the rest of the journey talking to her.

So expect me in Jakarta cuz still I’ve been missing my family and friends here as well. I have so many exciting plans, so many stories they’ve promised to unfold with one condition : “I have to return to Jakarta first”, they say!

Will post this one once I’m home with my dear slow internet connection of Indonesia. Good day.

P.S. : This post is finally posted just before the midnight in Jakarta.

“Perfection”. Recently I feel so haunted by this word. I feel so afraid of making mistakes. I hate it like hell when I do and get fused over it even in the deepest of sleep. Hence, I always try to at least triple check my work before submitting any of my work, mail because I know I’m a careless person. The more I’m forced to be hasty, the likely I’ll make any mistake. Not it’s like it’s an excuse to be sloppy. I just want everything to be perfect.

I knew I read it on one of my close friend’s status : “The biggest mistake you can make is being too afraid of making one”. The fear is something I should overcome. Perhaps I should evolve the motivation from something more like : “scared of making defect” into “thriving for the best”.

Still, I’m a safe person. I can’t jump into water without knowing what help I’ll be getting, moreover I can’t swim. I toy with data, not with risk. Something that I honestly dunno if it’s good or bad.Eventually, I need to overcome this fear, unless I can’t even have a good night sleep, although I always sleep like a baby.

Recently I also feel like I’m getting more spoiled. Everytime I see a door, I always wish that it were an automatic door. Everytime I see stairs, I expect that it had been escalator. When I have to walk in corridor, I wish there were any travellator. And when I have to climb so far, why won’t they just provide us a damn elevator !@#$%^&*!! I must be getting tired of walking everyday haha.

I realize something though, despite all its turn offs, with so many ups Singapore also has, I think I have come to like it more to live here :). Good sunday everyone!

P.S. : Yesterday’s trip, like this picture

It’s a sunny,yet warm sunday afternoon although it actually started as a rainy day. I just woke up from my afternoon nap, sitting while sleeping in front of the Takashimaya Square at Orchard while listening to the live music from some local band which said they’re going to launch their debut single soon. Rick~something~ the name was.

I couldn’t help to fall asleep and surrender against the light cool breeze winding up on my skin as the birds are landing on the ground one another peeking up the popcorn left by the kids feeding them earlier. Its indeed a graceful breezy afternoon. The most calming and beautiful solitary moment I’ve felt for the past months since the same thing in La Piazza.

The thinking about staying here is circling around. Step is to be taken yet mind has to be made. Thinking while waiting though I may have made my answer already. And suddenly Meke just called, saying she’s coming leaving my cell phone credit at 1.59 SGD (haha!). We’re watching kungfu panda at 7 PM tonight at Cineleisure Cathay.

This post is typed on the orchard at 4.45 pm while waiting on the square and will be posted once i’m home possibly in the midnight with some revisions. Happy sunday afternoon everyone!

P.S. :

Some finding I’ve found recently :

Singapore Chinese Garden : The Singapore which is so un-Singapore.

The Nanyang TU Building : Grasses on the roof, very unique architecture!

Orchard : Street Drummer Kid, not new, but still the skill amazed me.

Behind Orchard : The extreme court for Skateboarders and Cyclist.

Now it’s been several days since I was back in Singapore again after one week in Indonesia. I really wish that this nomaden life would deliver me a more colorful life, hopefully.

Today for once in a while, I watch a movie, something which I did often back then. This time is the extra eps of one of my fav J-dorama, Proposal Daisakusen. As always this series always dig the deeper part of my school, college life and how I’ve always missed those times. Those times are not coming back and I’m drifting away little by little from the shore of memory.

Yes, some people told me that I’m still young and I should have nothing to worry. But I know that this diminishing youth will also pass just like a thin air. I want to walk my youth with the fullest indeed. Not wasting even a tiny second of it, and sail through all of my dreams. Cuz however, in the end, it will slip through without I even realizing it. One more year has passed.

I miss the old days, and maybe I’ll miss these days. I don’t want to ever regret not filling this time with my best. But I also don’t want to torture my future, not being able to concise to myself that I have my own timeframes for everything, like the self-dependent, marriage, bringing up children, etc. The question is should I ratify these for a longer youth and chasing dreams? Or maybe those are the things which truthfully my dreams?

I’ve actually already wasted some of my college-to-do-things like being able to learn more languages when I was in college, going out with a working maturer woman (haha..), earning high GPA for graduating with distinguish, and surely there are many more. But almost always those things come into mind only after they’re forgotten and then remembered. But in the end, as always, I can only walk through it, wishing and hoping while trying.

Now as I remember about the movie again, there was this part when Tsuru is making a tape recording for his bride, Eri, composed of the messages from the people who knows Eri. It’s very touching and make me remembers that once, I received the similar present from a very important person, and yet, it’s still the most beautiful present I’ve ever received. So please kindly let me say again, thank you so much.

Good night!

If you stay too long in one place though in the first time when you land your feet on that ground you felt so excited, you’ll start to feel demotivated. What seemed like a vacation beforehand, tends to lose its appeal. You’ll start missing your origin if it’s somewhere totally disordered, less developed.  At least that’s how I feel.

I start to miss Jakarta because of various things, the food, the price of things, the environment, my friends, but above of all, there’s this feeling that says : this is not where my sanctuary is (yet maybe). Maybe it’ll give different sense to me if I’ve moved and live here. But now? I still definitely need my “real” home.

And now I’ll be enroute to Jakarta in twelve hours, expecting lots of things, events, laughters, food (yup, Kalimati seafood, mbok Kemuning’s lunch), and the super crowdness of Jakarta. So for this moment, farewell Singapore! I’ll be seeing you in a week or so to bring the gorengan for Cyndy :), our (nicest! she is!) project manager.

P.S. : I still definitely owe lots of things here though. I’m bringing back Meke’s cellphone and postcards I suppose to give to her to Jakarta, and also tons of work! sigh…

It’s 2 AM where I have to be in bed already since I’ve got more intensive support coming up tomorrow. But to mark this week, I feel like I have to post something. Luckily I managed to activate my STARHUB GRPS thus enabling me to move around today and giving me the chance to watch the magnificent fireworks in the Waterfool show at One Raffles Quay, instead of sitting duck in front of my laptop waiting for emails that may never come.

It’s really not a new thing that people work or learn in a different city from where they are living thus making them go back and forth between cities everyday. In Indonesia, many people live in Bekasi or Depok and work in Jakarta. But here, in Singapore, I found a different story.

Today, when I was about to go back from Esplanade and got confused on how to reach the MRT of City Hall, I met these two persons around my age who kindly showed me the way to the MRT station. As we walked, we chatted a bit, until this part of conversation :

Meke : “Are you local?”
Him : “No, I’m malaysian.”
Adrian : “Oh. So Where do you live in Malaysia?”
Him : “JB.”
Adrian : “JB? Johor Bahru?”
Him : “Yes. But I work here. So I travel back and forth everyday. Takes me like two hours.”

I’m quite surprised to hear that. Working between cities is not a new thing, but between countries? It’s a totally different story for me. How is that possible?

The scenario proves that it’s very likely. It only takes you SGD 1 to travel from Johor Bahru to Singapore by Bus. The travel time is only around 40 minutes, much shorter than the travel time from Bekasi to Jakarta. Passing the border is also not too much a hassle if you have the S-Pass (employment pass). Unlike the normal tourists, the immigration officer will just sweep your S-Pass and there you can go after in just a split second. Very convenient, indeed.

Apparently, a large proportion of Johor Bahru inhabitants are actually working in Singapore due to higher payment. With fresh univ grad salary, around SGD 2000, you can still save a lot. Rough calculation if you work 22 days a month, and have lunch and dinner every working day in the hawker center, it will just cost you max 22 days x SGD 20 = 440 SGD per month. You still have another SGD 1500 (Rp. 10,000,000.-) you can spend for other things while actually in Malaysia, everything is far cheaper compared to Singapore, sometimes very similar to the price in Indonesia.

What do you think? Isn’t it very attractive?

Just a slight moment ago, my last 48 hours had been nothing but walking, walking and walking - till drop -. Started the day two days ago with visiting Lucky Plaza to change SGD into MYR and lunch, then continued the trip to Vivo City and sightseeing (which in the end costed 60 SGD for a new Sandal, how evil!).

Then back home, packing everything and from now on the chain of killing my own feet continued. I met Meke at Lavender MRT, got on the Bus in Golden Mile at 10.00 PM. After an unexpectedly fast trip to KL, we, me and Meke, got dumped in Pudu Raya Bus Station at 3 AM; May 18, 2008. I can tell you that the area at night is pretty scary (much like Jakarta), full of taxi drivers waiting for passengers, night tresspassers, and some possibly thungs.

With nothing to do, we decided to wait for dawn in the KFC within vicinity. Meke ordered BBQ something and then we waited and met this Filipino (Manila) girl who had no idea how to activate her Singtel for International Roaming, named Theresa (maybe you’ll read this ) because I was playing with my new Singtel’s instruction paper. After two and half an hour of nothingness, we decided to leave. We bid farewell to Theresa who managed to inform her boyfriend in Cyberjaya and at the moment waiting for him to fetch her, then we strolled to the nearest LRT station.

After some moments of confusion, a bit nightmarish event (Pretty sure that the man wanted to get something from us), we managed to get to the LRT station and our “real” trip began. After stopping a moment in the scary darkness to get the picture of Jamek Mosque at night since we needed to change train, we directly travel towards KLCC.

Then in a moment on 6AM, we were there already, to witness the majestic 88 floors (452 meters) Petronas Twin Towers, the current 2nd tallest building in the world and still the highest double deckers ever built on earth. After taking some morning pictures in the backyard of the Twin Towers, we ran to queue for the chance to be able to got on the skybridge of the Twin Towers. It was an unbelievably long queue. We were there at 7 AM, and the queue had been very long though the ticket counter would only be open starting at 8.30 AM and while you actually could got on starting on 9 AM. While people rushing in like rivers, finally we got our ticket and were allowed to come inside.

After a moment of little show, we were finally brought to the skybridge which were the only thing that interconnected the two towers, located 170 M above sea level. Actually the wait wasn’t that worthy for the 10 minutes stay in the skybridge, since we were not brought to the roof top (I had been in the 49th floor of BNI 46 Building in Jakarta). But still, the feeling of being in one of the most magnificent modern structures was what brought so many people in.

We planned to take pictures from the front of the KLCC which also featured two beautiful fountains, but unfortunately rain fell very hard just as soon as we got into the ground level. With nothing to do in the wait, we decided to had our lunch early in 10 AM in the foodcourt of Suria KLCC, a mall between the Twin Towers. The food was unbelievably cheap (even cheaper than the foodcourt of the malls in Jakarta). We only had to pay for 25 MYR for two super big portion of rice, 5 Glasses of Drink (Milo, Teh Tarik), and one Roti Canai, very nice indeed!

The rain finally stopped just when we’re done with our lunch. We took lots of pictures in front of the KLCC, and then continued our trip with bus afterwards. We visited lots of places in 5 hours mostly by walking: Chinatown, Jamek Mosque, Sultan Abdul Samat Building, Dataran Merdeka, National Library, Pasar Seni, National Mosque, Taman Tasek Perdana, National Planetarium and Space Center, and some other places that I’ve forgotten. Fortunately, we had the chance to see tons of corners of Kuala Lumpur.

Around 5 PM, we’re done with our target and took a Bus to get us to our final destination, the Orchard of Kuala Lumpur : Bukit Bintang. We got off in between of Pavilion and Starhill shopping center (JW Mariott) and met this nice yet scary and suspicious grandma which I still think that she intended harm on two of us (my very nightmare of Kuala Lumpur). But let’s just skipped this story for now. We had our - very inexpensive - dinner in the foodhall of Lot10, a not so big yet beautiful mall in the tip of Bintang Walk. After, we went inside the Starhill for sightseeing, then later we shopped for things in Pavilion (a new big mall which I consider quite nice).

When we got outside of Pavilion, it was already 9 PM and nearly the end of our trip. We intended to go to our Bus station but in the end got caught of the beauty of nightview of Bukit Bintang. It was indeed a Bukit Bintang - a star hill - which there were so many beautiful blue lights at night in the street. Since it’s Sunday it’s also very full of people, cars, bars, and everything. Love it so much. I think it’s even nicer than Orchard. I wanted to try entering the Planet Hollywood in the Bukit Bintang, but we had no more time.

After some (big) confusions on the location of the Bus station, in 11 PM we departed from in front of the Times Square (a very big mall as well but had no chance to get inside). It’s the end of our 20 hours in KL though the days lack badly of sleep, and full of walking had not ended yet as our journey home to Singapore is still up ahead. Astalavista KL!

Some things to note :
- The food and drinks in Malaysia (since I’ve been in Kuching as well) basically is very cheap. But foodcourt in Suria KLCC is still far cheaper compared the Food Republic Pavilion which is more expensive.
- The LRT, Komuter, Monorails in KL, buses, unlike Singapore, are badly interconnected and could create confusions, make lots of inquiries before getting on. They are not from one vendor like in Singapore so sometimes you have to leave a station, walk a bit (sometimes not a bit), to move to another station. The best is RapidKL IMO, since the stations, the LRTs, and buses are the one which look like those in Singapore.
- KL is definitely not that safe, but it’s still far neater than Jakarta. Still, be very careful there!
- We had our trip entirely without taking Taxis, but by walking, getting on buses, or LRTs. The public transportation is definitely not the best, but it’s still pretty good. The pavements are still pedestrians friendly (though sometimes some motorcycles get on it).

Here are some (stupid) things I’ve done while in Singapore :

1. Getting lost in Changi!

2. Running (yea running in its real meaning!) back and forth to Esplanade craving for free tickets of Titian Budaya featuring Jaclyn Victor.

3. Tapped the MRT card on the screen (TWICE!) and wondering what the heck was going on with the machine.

4. Tapped the MRT card or any smart card directly using the card, not knowing that actually you could just tap it along with your wallet, saving the necessity to draw your card everytime you’re taping it.

5. Stopped at the bus station too early or too far and finally had to compensate by walking

6. Killed my feet of too many walking (with sandal) :-s, and I almost barely able to feel my feet now. Route : bedok - city hall - marina square - esplanade - merlion - esplanade - city hall - orchard - takashimaya - orchard - botanic garden - esplanade - city hall - clarke quay - bedok

7. Walking around the foodcourt of Takashimaya to grab the free tester-cake (cheapskate :p).

8. Wanted to buy a drink sample at the drink booth at Merlion instead of picking the one in the freezer cuz being afraid of the price difference (in Indomart refrigerated can drinks are usually more expensive).

9. Ordered random food cuz my lack of ability in Mandarin and finally got wasted by the random test grrr.

10.  Getting scold of taking pictures at Esplanade’s Art Gallery (not like it’s a new thing, happened too often in Indonesia with me :p)

11.  Wet my own Trousers due to sitting on the wet grass of Botanic garden.

12. Telling the story of me getting lost in Changi to my colleague at DS (now it’s going to be a never ending gossip)!!

13. UPDATED : Got confused over a vending machine! Also confused on how to operate a washing machine!

Anyway do you know any more place to visit excluding : Merlion (Marina Square and Esplanade), Orchard, Botanic Garden, Clarke Quay - Riverside -, National Library, Bugis Junction, and IKEA? Please recommend me thanks!

It’s been a while since the last time I posted something in my dearest blog. A little of bit of losing my mood, a little bit of being too busy, but to sum it all in an easy sentence : I’ve just been lazy.

This post is posted from Bedok Apartment, Singapore giving so many firsts today :

1. First entry of blog from somewhere not Indonesia

2. First time on a real field assignment from the office (has been to HPI, but this is more bigger scaled) : Intensive Support for Duty Free Shop (DFS)

3. First time going abroad alone. ( Poor me )

4. First time going to Singapore ( I must see Marina Bay and the Singa statue!)

5. First time getting lost at an airport OMG!!! (Changi is just so damn big!).

6. First time getting so nervous on a trip (since it’s a business trip, I don’t want to mess this one and put the money spent on me in vain ).

7. First time buying a liquor (red wine) due to the request of a colleague at DFS, one step closer to adulthood?

8. First time boarding an aeroplane with an e-ticket ( VALUAIR VF508, seat 11A )

9. First time experiencing such a bloody hell fast internet yuhuu!!

.. and also the first time I’ve seen such a beautiful view up in the skies. I’ve often and often boarded a plane but none of those trips have allowed me to see the furball of unbeliavebly astonishing mountainous rainy yellowish afternoon clouds. What a pity I can’t turn on my cellphone to take the moment. I know it’s something that I’ll always regret since maybe it’s one of the rare chance in life time to see such scenery. Thinking badly of getting myself a Digicam!

In anyway, please wish me luck and hopefully I can do my best here!

I know there’ll be lots of more firsts coming up just in a few weeks straight ahead.