Bali - Day 1

The trip to Bali was decided upon a couple of months back. I'd like to think I was badly in need of a relaxing holiday. But in actual fact I was tempted to purchase the economy promo airfare offered by Air Asia.

I did not regret my action one bit. I had a glorious (over tul perkataan ni) holiday!

My flight to Bali was scheduled at 6.35 am. I was up by 4.15 am and the taxi which took me to the airport arrived at 5.00am. As I was loading my luggage in the taxi's boot, I saw my neighbour watering the plants. Awal benor ko bangun. Nak kata sembahyang subuh idak mungkin. Maybe baru abis baca kitab injil kot.

Forty-five minutes later I was at the domestic terminal of Soekarno-Hatta airport. The atmosphere reminded me of Puduraya, Kuala lumpur's bus terminal. Seriously, they should think of replacing the domestic terminal. It has surpassed its capacity and obviously has surpassed its useful life.

I joined the queue to enter the check-in area. Panjang bebenor queue-nya. Not a good start to my holiday. Fortunately the check-in went on smoothly and the plane departed on time (a miracle, this being Air Asia!).

Upon arrival, I was greeted by Nyoman, my driver cum travel guide in Bali. I had pre-arranged for my transportation in Bali a week earlier.

Went straight to the hotel. Checked-in and left my luggage at the reception as my room would only be ready at 2pm.

First destination - Pasar Seni Sukawati.

I don't really know why. But I remember liking this place a lot on my first visit a couple of years back. This time around it's just another ordinary looking crafts market to me. Perhaps, I've seen better looking handicrafts at the numerous crafts exhibition I went to in Jakarta over the years.

Next stop was Ubud.

Ubud is a small town renowned for its arts. Unlike Kuta, the pace here is more relaxed. There are plenty of nice little shops along the many small roads which runs through the town centre.

On the outskirts of the town, there are areas which are designated to paintings, wood crafts and furnitures.

One of the best things about Ubud is the town is surrounded by paddy fields and forests. I spent almost three hours exploring Ubud's town centre on foot.

Lunch was at Bebek Tepi Sawah. Simple je kan nama tempat ni. Tak payah susah2 pikior nama2 yang glamer. Jual apa? – Bebek. Kat mana? Tepi sawah. So why not name the place Bebek Tepi Sawah. Simple as that.

On the way back to Kuta, Nyoman stopped by at one of the painting galleries. Memang sial tau si Nyoman ni. The paintings were without doubt beautiful but I had problem with the price. Idak ada lukisan yang bawah Rp1 juta.

Dah le tu, the moment I arrived, I was accompanied by this man from the gallery who enthusiastically explained to me the meaning of the paintings on display. Like I really want to know why there were 3 birds in the painting and not 5. Kalo ada 2 ekor burung and satu lagi burung berkepala burung and berbadan buaya pun aku tak kesah le ooi. Yang penting cantik and murah.

I went back to the hotel and after a short rest, went out and explored Kuta on foot. Nothing much new to see actually. But with all the multi-national tourists flocking this area, you can not help but feel strangely excited. Pantuek tak statement tu?

There’s a new mall called Kartika Discovery Mall which is basically like any other malls in Jakarta. However, the mall is fronting the beach and it’s a nice place to watch the sunset while having a cuppa in one of the cafes.

Next entry : Kintamani, Tegallalang, Padang-Padang & Uluwatu.

Blissful Solitude - Bali

I spent four days on the wonderfully enchanting island of Bali. I will tell the details of my recent visit later. In the meantime, here are some pics taken which best summarise one of my best holidays ever.

Do We Have This In KL's Taxis?

A few days ago, I hailed a taxi to get to my office. Normally I would take the Bluebird taxi which by 8.15 am daily would have formed a queue at Pondok Indah Mall 2.

However, on that particular day, the row of Bluebird taxis where not there.

So, I had to stand by the roadside of the main Arteri Pondok Indah road and hail the first taxi in sight. Lucky for me I did not have to wait long. Less than two minutes later I was in this yellow taxi. The mini LCD screen inside immediately caught my attention. Nice huh? And it's not even a premium taxi, mind you.





Now, it has been almost a year since I last set foot in Kuala Lumpur. I'm not sure if taxis in KL have been upgraded since then. As far as I could recall, the three major things which I could remember about taxis in Kuala Lumpur are :

• Smelly
• Dirty
• Dishonest drivers

But of course, not all taxis (and its drivers) in KL are as described above. The above are based on my personal experiences.

Jakarta has the Bluebird taxis which are famous for its reliability. Most of the taxis in its fleet are new, clean and spacious. The same could be said of Gamiya and Express. Of course there are the lesser known taxi fleets which are not so well kept.

The point is, in Jakarta, we have a choice. If one needs a good and reliable taxi, then Bluebird is available.

Unfortunately, the same could not be said about KL's taxis. I have Indonesian friends who told me horrifying stories about their experience in a KL taxi. It's so "malufying" (embarassing)!!!

If I were the person in charge of the government ministry/department overlooking the taxis in KL, I would have resigned years ago for failing to improve the taxi services and uplift the image of KL's taxis.

Speaking of taxis, is anyone doing anything about the taxi touts in KLIA? I heard the problem still persist. Aiyahh.. mende macam ni pun takleh nak handle ke? Ada org dah kena suap ke to keep their eyes shut on the touts??

The most pleasant experience I had with a taxi was when I was a student in Portsmouth. This particular taxi driver lost his way and he immediately paused the meter. He resumed the meter when he finally got on the correct road.

Chances of that happening in KL? Aku potong jari kalo ada taxi driver that honest kat KL.

Sakit!!!

I've been sick. Very, very sick.

I was down with a vicious throat infection. Which led to a high fever. Which led to a severe headache. Which led to an aching body.

Five nights in a row I had difficulty sleeping. The moment I lie down in bed at night, the coughing starts. I even had to resort to sleeping in a seated position. Memang seksa nak mampos.

The fever began on Friday night and by Monday I was on my first visit to the doctor. I was shivering like hell. Blood sample was taken. Negative for denggue.

The doctor asked me to continue taking panadol and precsribed me with antibiotics. And pills for the cough which according to the doctor would not cause drowsiness.

Bloody hell. I need something for my cough which would help me sleep!! By night time, I was cursing the doctor. I couldnt sleep at all. The coughing got worse and my throat was burning.

I managed to sleep a couple of hours before waking up at 6am. On Tuesday, the fever subsided but came back later that night. The cough wasn't getting less either. My throat was so painful that I had to grab hold of something to endure the pain each time I swallow.

By Wednesday, I went to the doctor again. This time around, I was referred to an ENT specialist who did a rhinoscopy. The first time ever I could see the insides of my throat and down my nostrils. It wasn't a pretty sight for sure.

The ENT doctor spoke in medical term. I was too tired to try to comprehend. ..

The doctor precsribed a new course of antibiotics together with a host of other medicines.

By Thursday, I was feeling a bit better. Still weak though. But there was improvement. The next day, the fever was gone and the throat was a lot better. My body wasn't aching anymore.

I wouldn't want to go through what I went through last week again. Cukupla sekali ni demam teruk. Sengsorang pulak tu. Is this a glimpse of my old days? Tak kot, sebab masa tu ada Jamaluddin Mat atas kerusi roda kat sebelah bilik aku. Silap2 Sepol pun ada sebab kena buang dengan family dia... Hamidah dah bedridden sebab gemuk sangat. And Peanutbutter pun ada buatkan bubur untuk kitaorang. We look after each other naa??

Anyway, what la is happening to Malaysian politics? The whole scenario is more likely to happen in a faraway country in Africa. But Malaysia???

We have a PM who's unable to think for himself and seeks the advice of his son-in-law. Then we have a DPM who's very scared of the wife (I saw her being interviewed, is she on botox overdose??).... Not forgetting the clowns by the name of Shahrir Samad, Nazri Ismail, Shabeery Chik and others in the cabinet....

And the sodomy charges against DSAI... tolongle... be more original occay!!! To Tan Sri Musa Hassan, should you need a matress to be carried to the court as evidence, please do come to my house in Taman Cempaka. Tapi bila dah amik tilam aku tu, ko replace le ngan tilam Vono akak Ziana. Kesian kan kat ko, bapak mengajar ngaji, tapi dapat anak macam ko!!

Taman Bunga Nusantara

Picking up from where I left in my previous entry...

So, without any pre-determined destination, we continued our ascend up to Puncak until we saw a huge billboard of Taman Bunga Nusantara (Nusantara Park).

Unanimously, we agreed to check out the Taman Bunga.

The park was huge. There were trains (they were actually modified pick-up trucks) provided for visitors to move about within the park, but we decided to explore the whole area on foot. Furthermore, the air was cool and it was a better way to enjoy the scenery.

Naturally, the most ethusiastic among us was my father. Suka benor dia. Sampeikan nak amik anak pokok bawak balik.

Some areas of the park reminded me of the park along Portsmouth's Southsea during spring. Ala... tempat favorit Jamaluddin Mat and Zaharah menenangkan perasaan dolu. Ina.. ko tak pergi taman bunga kat Southsea kan?... sebab ko memanjang terperuk dalam bilik study sambil masak maggi mee guna microwave Argos.

Anyway, we left the park after a couple of hours and headed to a restaurant called Rindu Alam situated on the hillside which offered magnificent views of the tea plantations. The food, unfortunately was so-so.

Then, came our worst nightmare. The "macet" while we were descending from Puncak. It took us two hours to reach the foothill. The traffic was really bad. The cause? Three bloody tourist buses parking indiscrimanately by the road side blocking half of the lane. Phuantekk sangat!! What irked us more was, a mere 10 metres from where these buses were parked was this huge parking area where they could have parked their buses without disrupting the traffic flow.

What can I say but some people were born stupid!! In this case three bus drivers who, rather than being bus drivers, should have been placed along with the animals in the safari for they have the same IQs.

On another note, I'll be moving out from my Pondok Indah home soon. I'll be occupying an apartment in Permata Hijau. I hate it there but this was the instruction given by my CFO. I'll be sharing this apartment with another staff from KL, temporarily. Well, that's what my CFO said, I'll be placed there during the "transition period". But then, knowing how they are, TEMPORARILY could well mean permanently. Sedih la macam ni.

The apartment is nice, huge and has its own private lift but then I would not have my privacy. The guy I'll be sharing the apartment with is a nice guy, but then I need my own space. Hopefully this transition period won't last more than two months.

Otherwise, my mental well-being would be seriously affected.

Taman Safari Indonesia

It's been quite a while since my last update. You see, I was really busy entertaining guests.

Mid May, Steve came to Jakarta for the 4th or was it 5th time this year? Sorry ahh Steve... I lost count. This time around, his airfare was fully paid for by a friend who also tagged along with the wife. Seronok dapat kawan macam Fendi kan Steve... dah la sponsor flight, accommodation pun dia bayorkan.

Steve is unlike any other guests. He could not be bothered with shopping. 90% of his time in Jakarta was spent consuming caffeine in cafes. And errr... not to forget nicotine. Actually, although he has been to Jakarta countless number of times, he still could not get enough watching beautiful people of Jakarta. Hence the long hours in open air cafes.

Then, my parents came to Jakarta together with my sister and nephew. The visit which I most looked forward to.

I took 5 days off just to be with my family. As expected, I gained a few pounds (dah hilang dah pun) from eating delicious meals prepared by my mom. Lama benor tak rasa masakan mak aku.

My dad, being the green-fingered person that he is, trimmed the small lawn at my house and planted a few plants. He even pestered me to buy more plants to beautify the empty lawn. I then showed him the almost dead orchid (a gift from Steve and Atian) - a way of telling him his son prefers zero-maintenance artificial plants.

Since my eight-year-old nephew was so bored with grown up people's agenda (read : shopping and more shopping), we decided to pay Taman Safari Indonesia a visit.

Taman Safari Indonesia is situated in Puncak. I did not know this until the actual day we were our way there. I had always thought it was in Bogor. Had I known this fact, I would not have chosen Saturday to go to the safari.

You see, from the foothill, Puncak is only accessible via a two-lane road, one for each direction. On weekends, the traffic volume escalates and naturally, causes super "macet".

We were lucky we left the house at 7 am and our ascend to Taman Safari Indonesia was quite smooth. The traffic jam was bearable. But the descend was a nightmare. More on this later.

Ok. Having never been to a safari before, I was actually quite excited. Masa kecik-kecik dolu teringin nak ke safari yang kat Desaru, tapi tak mampu. About a kilometre before reaching the safari's entrance, there were many roadside stalls selling carrots.

The sopir (Pak Toyo le... sapa lagi) asked whether I wanted to buy some. My mom answered yes. Dia kan pantang tengok mende-mende jual tepi jalan ni, mesti nak berhenti. I wound down the window and the boy manning the carrot stall handed over carrots worth Rp10,000.

Aku tengok je carrot2 tu terus mintak tukar yang elok2 sikit. Pehal bagi aku yang kecik2. Aku nak buat juice pakei juicer aku nanti mesti nak carrot yang besor2.

Done. Off we went continuing our journey heading towards the safari gates. Then my nephew asked my mom :

Afiq : Pah, you want to give carrots to the animals ke?

Mom : Yes, nanti Afiq feed the animals ok.

Bodoh tak aku? Aku ingat carrots tu untuk buat juice ke, buat mak aku masak sayur ke. Patut le muka budak yang jual carrot tu macam heran je kenapa aku mintak tukar suruh bagi carrot yang elok2 sikit. Sure dia kata bangang tul Om tu. Nak bagi binatang makan pun nak yang elok2 ke??

We spent almost 3 hours at the safari. The safari is divided into two areas i.e the safari and the recreational area where they have animal shows, all sorts of rides and even a haunted house.

We managed to catch the elephant show. Then my nephew begged to be taken on the cable car ride.

The cable car looked ancient. Rp30,000 per person for a less than 10 minutes ride on a cable car which seemed to be made in the year Rhoma Irama made his first album.

After the safari we continued our journey further up Puncak.

Those who have been to Cameron Highlands, the journey up to Puncak is somewhat similar. Vast areas of tea plantations could be seen on both sides of the road.

We then stopped at the Taman Bunga Nusantara. Well, my dad is a green- fingered person, remember?

More on this in my next posting.

The Weirdest Payment Schedule Ever!

This morning, while having breakfast, I went through a draft contract from our client. Flipping through the pages, everything seemed fine. No discrepancies from our earlier agreement.

When I reached the Payment Schedule page and started to scrutinise the proposed schedule of payment, I almost choked on my beef risoles.

Kontrak apaan ini?

I read through the payment schedule again and again. I was not halucinating. The words were correct.

I don't think I'd be able to meet their demand. I'd have to send my staff to claim the 3rd and 4th payment.

We are the "Pihak Kedua". For the 3rd payment, I'd suggest my staff to take Viagra. But not for the 4th payment. Taking Viagra might cause further delay in getting our money.