Pindah Lagi.. Pindah Lagi

Yupp. It'll make it the 4th time within 13 months.

I feel like an artist on his concert tour. Only that it isn't intercity but an inter-kecamatan tour. Kebayoran Baru - Kebayoran Lama, back and forth.

But I've been anticipating this move. That's why I left most of my belongings in the boxes from my previous move barely two months ago. Belum pun hilang rasa penat... dah kena pindah lagi.

Well actually, to be honest, I thought I'd be asked to return to HQ.

But Allah gave me more time to spend in Jakarta. Yak!! Yak!! Yeayy!!

• I will be able to catch my 4th JavaJazz (someone I know is performing!!!)
• My 3rd InaCraft!!! (ok, the iburumahtangga in me comes out once in a while. You people should be proud of the high quality craftsmanship of Indonesian handicrafts. And oh yeah, I'm the secret agent sent by KL to immitate those products)
• I can now plan my 3rd trip to Bali!!!!!
• I will witness PEMILU 2009!!
• Witness the upcoming flood!!

Last but not least,

• I will have the chance to see the ending of sinetron Muslimah, Yipppee!!! (it's a sinetron on Indosiar where this woman, Muslimah, arguably the most cursed woman ever in the history of sinetron, who has a step daughter with a third eye on the forehead. If that's not amazing enough, the third eye has magical powers to lift objects. The plot is unbelievably dreadful that after awhile you'll find it gives you this strange feeling of pleasure memaki-hamun in front of the telly all by yourself. Just like watching telenovelas but with a lot less boobs.

My new abode will be in a residential housing area which makes it more exciting. I'll get the chance to mingle with the locals. And then of course there'll be the tukang bakso, mbak jamu gandeng, bapak RT, electricity meter reader man, water meter reader man, tukang roti, tukang sepatu and the street's satpam among others. If I'm lucky, there'll also be the tukang topeng monyet.

Living in the current serviced apartment, the only living beings I bump into on regular basis are the satpam at the guard house, the receptionist and the stray cat that made the basement's carpark its home.

The thing that I find quite disturbing is the fact that there's a vacant plot of land directly opposite the house with overgrown grass and weeds. This view will greet me from the master bedroom window. Not a good idea to peek outside in the middle of the night, huh?

Also, the house has been vacant 3 months now. I will not have a neighbour. The house to the left has been vacant for months, and the house to the right is undergoing major renovations.

The house is quite huge. With maid's quarter, a garage (now I have a valid reason to buy a bicycle!!) and a wet kitchen.

Damn you Dewi Persik! It was solely because of you I watch Tali Pocong Perawan.

I need a housemate!!!!!!

Jogja Pics

Zip-up Your Fly, Please.

If one sees the notice below, then you're forgiven for thinking the place is full of flashers roaming about freely. I mean just look at those wordings.

To be able to "mengeluarkan" something, it must be somewhere inside in the first place.

Mengeluarkan tangan?... Tangan kan memang udah di luar.

Mengeluarkan kaki?... From where? Errr... unless of course, you're the boy in the bubble.

I shall not name the place. But the green coloured building sticks out like a sore thumb. Errr... I gave it away didn't I?

Meaningless Black and White Lines

Boxing Day.

Since Jakarta is free from the usual heavy traffic this long holiday weekend (that's what I read from the morning's KOMPAS), I decided to head to Senayan City to survey the price of a certain gadget at Best Denki.

As the taxi I was in was negotiating the corner from Jl Hang Tuah to Jl Asia Afrika, I was greeted with the view of long queue of vehicles entering Senayan City.

Damn you KOMPAS!

Traffic was heavy on both sides of Jl. Asia Afrika especially the section near Senayan City and Plaza Senayan.

Rather than joining the queue to enter, I asked the taxi driver to pull over by the bus stop infront of the mall. And save a few thousand rupiah.

I know. I'm a cheapskate.

Inside, the mall was crowded. Most were there for the year-end sale, I presume. From Debenhams to Zara. Sales galore!

Reminds me of the Boxing Day sale in the UK.

After checking out the price of the gadget at Best Denki and surveyed other shops in the mall offering the same item. I had to get out quick.

Bearing in mind the highly unfavourable traffic condition outside, the cheapskate in me reckon that it would be cheaper to board a taxi from Plaza Senayan instead of Senayan City. No need to do that far u-turn nearby Mulia Hotel.

This also meant that I had to risk my life crossing the busy Jl Asia Afrika to get to Plaza Senayan (I blogged about this once, here)

I tried to reassure myself that it would not be that life threatening because the person manning the pedestrian crossing would be there to assist pedestrians get across safely.

Well whadya know! They were not there! My only hope now is for the motorists to understand the purpose of the black and white lines across the road, which I was blankly staring at. And puting my whole trust in. Fat chance! It would be something beyond miracle if they understood what those lines are for.

I was just a few seconds late to join the large group of people who had just crossed the road.

Fine. I looked around hoping that there were more people who, together in a group, would stand a better chance of making the motorists stop and allow us to cross. A group of people is clearly more visible that a single yours truly.

I waited... and waited.. and waited. No one. Not a single soul!!!

Damn!!! Why did I pick this moment to cross??!!!! I was trying to make myself to look as cool as possible. Hopefully they'd see me as someone who was waiting for the taxi. Or ojek. Or Kopaja. Whatever!! As long as they did not see the fear and desperation on my face to cross that friggin' road!

Soon I realised I had waited a tad too long.

Voice in my head : Raise your right hand - Flap it up and down - Walk briskly to the median.

I repeated the procedure in my head over and over again. Took a deep breath and made that first step onto the road into the path of the oncoming traffic on my right.

Flap, flap, flap..... walk, walk, walk.

And I was safely standing on the road median.

Voice in my mind : Well done mate! Repeat process, but now raise your left hand and flap it up and down.

Took a deep breath. Flap my left hand up and down into the direction of the traffic on my left.

1st car stopped.

2nd car stopped.

So far so good. All the while continuing the ever important hand flap.

I was about to cross the path of the third car when I suddenly realised it wouldn't stop. It kept moving forward. And nearly hit me.

That was when the graceful hand flap automatically turned into a stiff wooden bat. Palm down, I hit hard the hood of the car.

Bang!!!!

I looked angrily at the driver. He was stunned.

"Can't you see there's a pedestrian-crossing here!! You bloody moron!!!" shouting on top of my lungs while pointing downward to the black and white lines.

Needless to say, the 4th and 5th car just stopped and allowed me to cross safely. Thanks to the mad man from KL, a group of people seized the opportunity to cross to the median from the Plaza Senayan side of the road.

I knew I got quite a number of stares. But... ada aku kesah??? The important thing - I made it safely to the other side of the road.

I just don't understand why can't any responsible authority build a pedestrian bridge which connects the two malls.

Why-la Fauzi Bowo?? Tell me why????

Taysert, Anyone?

A few days ago,bored (actually, more of feeling guilty because of over eating during the long holidays) I hit the gym at FX.

Klank, klunk, klank, klunk, dumbell-barbell-machines-treadmill..... I was done after 1 half hours.
Headed to the locker room. Took a shower. Went back to the locker and started to get dressed when suddenly from the corner of my eyes I saw a guy standing next to me.

Guy : Mas. Mau beli taysert gak?

I turned to him. He was clad only in towel.

Me : Hah? Kaset?(cassette) Gak mas. Makasih ya.

*Hello!!!??? People moved on to CDs a gazillion years ago*

Guy : Mas. Mau beli taysert ngak? Saya punya banyak merek.

Me : Gak mau mas. Saya udah lama pakai CD.... emangnya kaset ada merek?

Guy : Ada. Benetton. Gap. Adidas. Nike. Bagus-bagus lho taysertnya.

Me : Lho?? Emangnya mas jual apa ya?

Guy : Taysert. Kaos, mas.

Me : Oooooh! Tee-Shirt??! Teeeee- Shirrrt??

*it's a good idea if you wear one now*

Guy : Yach. Taysert!

Me : Gak pa pa. Makasih ya mas.

Guy : Sepatu mau gak? Adidas, Nike, Converse.

Me : Gak pa pa ya mas. Makasih.

Guy : Kalo suplemen-nya mau gak? Saya punya merek yang bagus-bagus.

Me : Waduh mas. Saya lagi keburu nih. Makasih ya!

Off I went leaving him standing there. With a white towel wrapped around his waist. Failed to make a sale. But still smiling.

Ya iyalah!!! Masa mau jualan cuman pakai handuk??? Gila!!

I wasn't expecting that to happen in the locker room of a gym. This kind of thing is a norm at for instance Soekarno-Hatta Airport ... you know when people approach you and speaking in a hush tone offering perfumes or watches. Or at bus terminals or train stations or open space car parks.

But in a Celebrity Fitness locker room????

A sign of hard times perhaps??