Weekend in Indonesia

October 17-18, 2009 (Saturday-Sunday) – I was invited by my company’s helpdesk support team to join them on a weekend getaway to Batam, Indonesia.

We left Singapore at 9:20 AM of Saturday and reached Indonesia at 9:20AM also (an hour difference). Karay-karay ko si sweetie sa trip na to. Upon reaching the Indo’s ferry terminal, sinalubong na kami ng tourist guide na si Nelly at hindi na kami nag-inarte pa dahil inumpisahan na naming ang lamyerda. We started the tour by:

1. Visiting an old temple – madaming Buddha sa temple na to.

2. Dinala kami ni Nelly sa factory outlet ng Polo – hindi naman ako namili kasi sobrang mahal pa din considering na sila na yung gumagawa ng ini-import sa USA. May nagandahan akong shirt pero almost P4,500 pesos pa din, so hindi worth it na bumili sa outlet nila, might as well sa mall na lang.

3. Sumunod naman ang visit sa gawaan ng layered cake, famous cake ito sa Indonesia na may local name na “lapis”. May libreng patikim sila ng cake kaya sa libre na lang ako nakuntento. Pakiramdam ko kuripot ako sa trip na to, parang naaamoy ko na ayaw kong gumastos at all.

4. Sumunod na ang lunch sa Golden Prawn Restaurant na talaga namang parang fiesta ang atmosphere, actually, parang pinas ang Indonesia. Sampu kaming magkakasama kaya nasa isang malaking round table kami. First dish was veggy na maanghang na ako yata ang may pinaka maraming nakain (excuse ako sa pagkatakaw kasi ako naman pinaka malaki sa lahat). Sinundan ng shell food na parang kuhol, then sweet and sour fish, then cereal prawn na paborito ko, then chilli crab at madaming-madaming rice. Ito uli ang chance na magpakalunod ako sa buko juice dahil napakamura compared to Singapore price.

5. After lunch – dinala kami ni Nelly (Furtado?) sa bilihan ng pasalubong. Wala na naman akong binili, hahaha! Pero ang mga kasama ko, halos hindi magkanda-ugaga sa dami ng bitbit. Pag akyat namin sa bus, bukasan sila lahat ng binili nila, ako naman ang taga-kain. WISE.

6. Sumunod naman ang visit namin sa racing cart na hindi ko din sinubukan dahil sa sobrang init ng araw. Almost 15 minutes lang kami dito.

7. Sumunod naman ang culture exploration – we watched locals as they performed national dance, anjang kumain ng bubog, magbalat ng niyog gamit ang bibig, sumuot sa gulong na nag-aapoy, may lion dance din. At nagbigay naman ako ng tip na 5,000 rupiah. Magkano yon? Hmmm, halaga ng isang coke in can, hahaha!

8. Sumunod naman ang visit to another Chinese Temple na sa sobrang bilis ay inabot lang kami ng 15 minutes. Well, wala din akong gustong makita don kaya ok lang na umalis kami agad.

9. At dumating na ang pinakahihintay ko, ang visit namin sa spa. Napansin ko na sa sampung magkakasama nung araw na yon, ako pala ang pinaka reklamador. Una, pinadiretso na kami sa massage room ng hindi man lang kami in-offer if we would like to take shower, syempre alburuto ako dito kaya nag-request ako na maliligo muna ko dahil nangangati ako sa init ng araw. Unfortunately, walang marunong mag-english sa staff kaya sumigaw ako ng “can somebody please help me translate!” In short, nakaligo ako. Pero, pero, pero … ang hina ng tubig sa bathroom. Lumabas ako ng bathroom na naka-tapis to the highest level at reklamong mahina ang tubig. Nilakasan nila ang tubig. And finally, nahiga na ko para sa massage. Isang masarap at magaling na masahista. Babaeng powerful kaya request na naman ako na medyo gaanan nya naman ang massage J

10. Sumunod naman ang shopping mall – hindi ko naman na-enjoy ang shopping mall kasi para lang syang n.e. pacific. In short, wala man lang akong binili na kahit na ano.

11. Finally, checked-in na kami sa Golden View hotel. I was sharing a big room with Mark. Very nice ang hotel, considering na nasa probinsya kami ng Indonesia. May magandang bar, panalo ang lobby na may napakataas na ceiling at gorgeous chandelier with matching welcome drink na lychee juice. We occupied a long table during the dinner na may dalawa namang option between chicken or beef steak, I had beef. After the dinner, swimming naman ang tropa na hindi ko na sinamahan dahil umatake ang sakit ng ulo ko. I ended up sitting at the pool side na nakikitawa sa kalokohan ng lahat at nagpapagaling ng sakit ng ulo habang umiinom ng beer. Beer and 3 types of tablet for my headache = goodluck Ray.

12. Sinundan naman ang visit namin sa in-house bar ng hotel na magaling naman sana ang singer nila kaya lang medyo may kalumaan ang mga songs na alam nya. Indonesians are known for having a vocal prowess kaya birit-biritan din yung lead singer. But then again, super jologs ang mga songs na kinanta nya, na talagang hindi ko kinaya dahil kinanta pa ang “Paint My Love”. In-enjoy ko na lang ang beer. Dito natapos ang unang araw namin sa Indonesia, kakapagod pero masaya.

13. Sunday – started the day with a western buffet breakfast. Kawawa nga lang ako kasi walang gana pang kumain ng 7:00AM kaya kumain lang ako ng cereal. Ang ending, 10:00AM ako nagutom nung wala ng breakfast kaya gumastos ako para sa beef burger. After the breakfast, swimming na naman ang tropa while nilibot ko naman ang surrounding ng hotel para sa photo opportunity.

14. We left the hotel at 1:00 AM and collected our ticket back to Singapore. We had an ample time before our ferry schedule, kaya punta kami sa nearby shopping mall at nag-fiesta na naman sa masaganang lunch at nagpa-massage na naman ako after lunch. I had crème bath na sa Indonesia ko lang nakikita and nagagawa. Head massage sya, lalagyan ng crème ang buhok tapos sasabayan ng massage na talaga namang nakakatunaw ng stress. One hour of pleasure J

Sa dami ng activities na ginawa namin sa loob lang ng dalawang araw, nakakapagod din kahit na sabihin pa na puro tawanan at massage man sya. But the best thing about this trip, the total package including the ferry, lunch, dinner, hotel, tour package and transportation only cost S$75. But of course, excluded na dito yung mga bote ng beer na ininom ko, massage and mga extra candies na kakaiba sa paningin ko. It was simply an enjoyable way of spending weekend not too far from Singapore but totally different world at its most inexpensive way.

OFW cares

It was October 2, 2009 - Friday, when our house served as a relief center for the victims of the typhoon Ondoy. At first, lima lang ang tao na dapat magtutulong-tulong sa pag-pack ng boxes, but we were overwhelmed by the donations gave by many pinoys and foreigners kaya umabot sa 20 people ang nag-ayos ng boxes. At the end, naka 29 boxes kami na pinadala sa pinas.

Our living room

Outside our unit, just right in front of the lift

Our second living room - the far right door is my room.

Canon PhotoMarathon 2009

October 10, 2009 - Saturday. I was an excited soul cos I joined for the first time the Canon Photo Marathon 2009. The registration starts at 7:00AM, kaya naman 5:30AM pa lang gising na ko (that means, 11:00 PM pa lang ng Friday, pinapatulog ko na sarili ko). I reached the venue at 7:20AM (after having a quick breakfast at McDonald's) and immediately registered where I was also given the official Canon shirt and my event ID.

Nakakapanliit sa venue kasi dito ko na nakita lahat ng photographers na sa photoshooting na yata umiikot ang buhay dahil para na silang naglalakad na dry box sa dami ng camera accessories, I wondered gaano kadaming dolyar ang inubos ng mga yon sa dami ng gadgets nila.

Anyway, there were three themes that has to be completed for 3 hours for each theme. Parang amazing race, kasi kailangan maka-produce ng subject within 3 hours lang, kaya mahirap kalaban ang time sa aspect na to. The first theme was "Togetherness". My entry was the wedding ring of my couple friends (of course suot-suot nila yung wedding ring).

The second theme was announce at 12:30PM, and it was "Motion". My entry was an old guy rushing with his motorbike.

The last theme was "Energy". It was like 4:30PM already during the 3rd theme kaya naman nauubos na ang energy ng lahat ng participants. Pero tuloy pa din ang energy ko to walk around and look for an energy subject. My entry was an element of fire.

I didn't win any of the categories, but that was fine. I don't want to be sound bitter, but there are tens of blogs complaining how the judges chose the winning images. But based on my opinion, I liked the entries being sorted out as the finalists, they look very genius and really done excellently. I participated the marathon to have a feeling of how was it to be working with professional and amateur photographers, and at the same time, I want to challenge myself and my limit when it comes to creativity. So for that aspect, I think nanalo na din ako kasi I have a good Canon shirt. I got booklet of my camera. I got free flow of mineral water and Milo. And finally, I got A4 size free photo printing. It was an experience which will not stop me from joining again. Not really to win the contest, but just to be belong :)

Canon EOS 7D

October 2, 2009 - Friday. Indeed a day to be remembered cos it was the day I bought an item which I have longed craziest than any other things I dreamt of in the past. Yes, I closed my eyes and purchased the Canon EOS 7D. Honestly, I have never waited like a hungry human for a product to be launched but this Canon DSLR. Day by day by day by day, I was checking all the websites, articles, news, visiting different camera shops and etceteras just to get a hint or clue when will be the launching date of this wonder girl (I just assumed she's a girl). And finally, October 1 was the date of her birtdate in Singapore, and I got her on her second day :)

Here are few of the binyag shots done by my sweetie, Eos 7D.

And this photo was her first morning with me. I just captured the kalat of my so-called computer area and it still turned out to be not so irritating kalat I was expecting to see in a photo.

In a short while, I will be out with Tonet and Wini (my adik-sa-photography friends) to search for a good bag for my babe. And will also purchased my dream lense EF 24-105mm f/4 L. Ewan ko ba naman kung bakit kung ano ang mahal sya ko pang napag-interesan, naaawa naman ako sa sarili ko kung maglalaway na lang ako lagi sa shops pag nakita ko sya at wala man lang ako magawa para mabawi sya and bumalik sa aking kandungan. And with all these recent purchased na talaga namang apektado ang bulsa ko, I would be launching "Oplan-tipid" sa lahat ng bagay para naman may pangkain pa din ako.

I am a happy soul.

(On the day I bought my camera - also the day when me and my friends gatehered in our house to packed an overwhelming donation from many people of goods to be sent to Philippines. We are just expecting a box of four to be filled, but ended up like 12 jumbo boxes. I was so surprised when I reached home kasi wala akong malakaran sa buong bahay, roughly 20 friends came in to help the packaging kasi hindi makakayanan ng limang tao lang. Yes, gumastos ako ng wala sa oras, pero I did my own share sa help-drive na to and siniguro ko din na masasaktan ang bulsa ko sa contribution ko para mabawasan ang guilt ko sa pagbili ng mahal na item. My 42 inches TV was also delivered last night, pero literally walang mapaglagyan sa bahay kaya pinabalik ko sa Samsung and i-deliver na lang uli sa ibang araw. We reached the point of talking to our neighbor and asked their support and cooperation kasi pati ang mga lift namin ay busy sa dami ng nagdala ng donation. Naiiyak ako sa response ng lahat ng nag-donate. Indeed, madaming nadedevelop na pagtutulungan sa gitna ng malaking kalamidad na dinadanas ng Pilipinas)