Images of Farewell

As mentioned in my previous post, I have recently concluded my advertising agency stint in Indonesia.  Prior to my flight back home, the few remaining weeks were filled with “images of farewell” that depicted my attachment and appreciation of the life I have lived and the people I have built deep connections with over the last (nearly) two years.  Here are some of the snapshots:

Last KTV session with the singers of the Accounts Team

With my ever reliable Cara and Dhanny...

With the "humor in my life", Sari...

With the "pumping queen", Dessy...

With the "lady rocker" Dianna...

With the newbie Dewi...

Last dinner with my so-called clubbing/chill-out friends in Potato Head...

After dinner, straight to Blowfish of course...

The first couple of people that I went out with back in 2008...

Last traditional lunch with the team...

Last dinner at BIN17 with Pinoy friend, Berna...

Last dinner at The Apartment with ex-Account Director-currently-close-friend, Sinta...

Last office lunch courtesy of Riyas... your Nasi Uduk is really to die for... I'm missing it already!!!

Last dinner at FJ Bistro with the best client ever, J&J Indonesia...

Photo op for the ceremonial gift giving!

Last booze night at Tabac with Dila, John and Nadia...

Last dinner at Social House with my favorite couple, Maira and Adwin...

Last dinner at Cafe Batavia with a few of my favorite people...

Last Padang lunch at Sederhana with the whole Accounts Team...

Last ride with my ever reliable and sleepy Pak Darmo...

Last house party with the whole gang in my apartment...

Thank you guys...

Terima kasih banyak, teman teman!

For more pictures, check out my Facebook albums…

Goodbye and Thank You, Indonesia!

After 1 year and 8 months, I’m bidding Indonesia goodbye…

It just feels like yesterday when I first stepped in to the very dynamic and diverse culture of Southeast Asia’s largest archipelago.  I won’t ever forget the combined excitement and fear that I felt after accepting the idea of embracing a lot of first time experiences that is intertwined with the new blessing that came my way: being expatriated, living alone in a country that that is stranger to me, working in a new industry that I honestly didn’t have the complete expertise, and taking on a senior management role that is both overwhelming and challenging.  Yet, after nearly 2 years of experiencing these monumental first time milestones, I am very grateful to have had the courage of seizing the opportunity that fell on my lap back in 2008.

From personal experience, I can say that the concept of expatriation in a tough country is a big “character building” exercise.  More than the test of professional competencies and skills in your workplace, it is more of a test of inner strength, drive and commitment not just to survive but also to successfully thrive holistically as a person.  A friend once told me that the first 3 months will appear to be heaven since it would be your time to enjoy a lot of new things, but on the 4^th month, it would become a turning point – you will start questioning why you are in the place where you are, depression can set in and you might “make” or “break” it.  Not to my surprise, I realized that my friend was right.  Fortunately, I was able to view it in a very positive light – using my personal standards as measure, I can proudly say that I managed to brave the trial and pass the exercise of finding myself, building a stronger character, standing by my personal values and validating my vision in life.  The experience also gave me a liberating perspective about life and how to seize the unlimited possibilities that it can throw at you, with this as a guiding inspiration, I saw the “world” as my oyster and it further ignited my passion to transcend to becoming a significant global citizen that can create a positive dent wherever life’s road would lead me.

On the context of living and breathing as an “Indonesian”, the entire journey is indeed a memory that will be treasured for a life.  If I were to put on a list of things that I value the most and will definitely miss out of the whole experience, they are the following:

1. New bunch of friends, acquaintances and contacts made from various parts of the world – Indonesians, English, Americans, Indians, Malaysians, Singaporeans and of course, Pinoys.
2. Studying, learning (a bit) and using Bahasa Indonesia, especially “Jakarta slang” and some profane terms.
3. Huge malls in every corner of the city (Grand Indonesia, Pacific Place, Senayan City, fX, Plaza Indonesia, Plaza Senayan, Mal Ambassador and ITC Kuningan on top of the list).
4. Great clubs and chillout places like Dragonfly, X2, Blowfish, Immigrant, Loewy, Tabac, Elbow Room, Social House and Potato Head.
5. Gastronomical treats – ayam goreng kremes, nasi uduk, rendang, dendeng, sate, otak, nasi liwet komplit, ayam goreng mentega, martabak, pukis, and a whole lot more!
6. Driver Darmo and house help Nini for spoiling me, being patient with me and always being physically there for me (literally would not have survived without the both of them).
7. “Vacation haven” defined by Bali – Kuta, Nusa Dua, Seminyak, Legian, Uluwatu and Ubud.
8. “Culture” defined by Yogyakarta – seeing a creation which was once part of the world’s wonders: Borubudur and witnessing how “batik” is made.
9. “Solace” defined by Lombok beaches.
10. Destination spots for tourists in these towns/provinces – Bandung, Surabaya, Padang, Batam and Medan.
11. You-C1000 orange water, which replaced my morning coffee and became a default post-lunch beverage.
12. Being a millionaire everyday – thank you for the Rupiah currency, which offers a lot of “zeros” in most money bills.
13. Crazy traffic, undisciplined drivers and swarm of motorcycles (call me wimp, but I didn’t have the guts to drive in Jakarta; Filipinos said that if you can drive in Manila, you can drive anywhere…  I don’t think so!).
14. Blue and Silver Bird Taxi service – if there is one thing that works well and efficiently in Indonesia, this would be it!
15. Casablanca Mansion Executive Residences in Jl. Casablanca, Kuningan for being my home, thank you that the rumored ghosts (as in real ghosts, cause the place used to be a cemetery) never visited my unit!  Special mention to the apartment café’s volcano rice and chili wings, which served as my staple Saturday brunch.
16. The slowest internet connection in the world that never fails to drive me nuts!
17. Some local Indonesian TV shows that I sporadically watch during really boring days – soap operas commonly known as “sinetron” (favorite scene: the antagonist character talking to herself alone while facing the mirror), Bali TV channel’s cultural shows, infotainment’s showbiz gossips and the cheesy, cheap and corny yet entertaining antics on the dating show “Take Me Out”… indeed a guilty pleasure!
18. Dangdut songs accompanied with those funny dance moves!
19. The aroma of Gudang Garam, the national clove cigarette of the country (I think) – at first can make you puke, but when you get used to it, you’ll think it’s cinnamon roll you’re smelling!
20. Teh Botol – the national drink of Indonesia (for me) – tasted like flower (eeew right?) when I initially tried it, but turned out to be another staple drink, which I eventually appreciated.  Include all the other tea variants (my favorite is Ultra Jaya’s Teh Kotak though)!
21. Four Season’s Hotel’s spa – therapeutic and certainly relaxing!
22. Being “lost in translation” with market vendors, my favorite though is ordering food delivery as I made lots of enemies or nearly had moments of incurring a heart attack from this activity!
23. El cheapo restos with yummy delights – Abuba, Andakar and Bebek Guinio.
24. Cheap electronic gadgets galore – enough said!
25. The loud sound coming from mosques (especially the one at four o’clock in the morning) inviting people to pray!
26. Observing the customs during Ramadhan and Lebaran – I remember trying to participate in the fasting month; I only made it to day one!
27. Blitzcinema and XXII Cinema, truly state-of-the-art cinematic experience!
28. The warungs and the wartegs for making everything so accessible and convenient, and for not making me sick of typhoid fever despite the questionable food safety (due to hygiene issues)!
29. Oleos 1 office building – it was the venue for tons of great memories and learnings that I will forever treasure!
30. DDB Indonesia team – not only for being professional colleagues, but also for being real friends and for making me feel that I am one of them!

I can go on and on with this list but I don’t think that what I owe from the experience will be well encapsulated even by identifying a million things that I would miss.  Truly, the fulfillment, joy, challenges, sadness, inspirations and lessons that the journey planted cannot be quantified.  So at this final moment, allow me to say, from the bottom of my heart, “thank you and I will definitely see you again, Indonesia!”.

Celebrating Ramadhan As A Christian

Being a Christian thriving in a Muslim country allows me to be more observant, respectful and appreciative of this belief that I have not been accustomed to.  While there are a lot of differences, I realized that there are also tons of similarities.  One of the highlights that ignite my deeper curiosity is the Ramadhan tradition which ends in Lebaran or Idul Fitri.

Quite similar to Christianity’s Lenten season, Ramadhan is a 30-day sacrifice where hard core fasting is performed to cleanse the soul, veer away from earthly thoughts and strengthen the spiritual relationship with Allah.  I said that it is hard core fasting as one of the rules includes not having any food or drink intake from the crack of dawn until sunset (which is more or less the twelve hours of your day!).  Not to mention the regular 5-times prayer period within 24 hours.  And not to mention again, controlling of emotions or any worldly urge (yes, no sexual acts within the almost 12-hour daily fasting period).  Given this philosophy and my experience with the Muslims who religiously observe the practices, my respect for them increased given that in my case, it’s already so difficult to fast and abstain during Holy Thursday and Good Friday!

On the other hand, Lebaran or Idul Fitri marks the conclusion of the 30-day journey, which similarly is like Christianity’s Christmas celebration.  Honestly, I do not know the details of the religious belief, but the more apparent observation which made me closely compare the two traditions would be the outward manifestations in terms of people’s lifestyle.  First, when the actual Lebaran is near, malls are all on sale!  The celebratory atmosphere commands huge retail transactions and consumer purchases either for gifts or for buying new stuff for themselves.  Second, in connection to the high propensity to spend during the season, traffic is so damn bad – people rush to malls for last minute shopping or to their homes or buka puasa (fasting break) gatherings, just like Christmas parties with friends, colleagues or families.  Third, it is a tradition to do mudik or pulang kampung (coming home to provinces) to celebrate the big day with relatives.  Hence, plane fares, hotels and fees in recreational areas jump up to over 100% given that it is the peak season and people don’t mind to splurge and indulge!

But for me, the best part of the deal is that Lebaran is celebrated for one whole week.  Hence, one long week of holiday!  As I have not consumed much of my annual leave this year yet, I will be taking my 2-week vacation after Lebaran, making my holiday a total of 3 weeks!  Tell me if there’s something better than that!  Hahaha!  As of this writing, I am 8 hours away from boarding a plane, to do my mudik in the Philippines and spend the rest of my 2-week annual leave for a much needed sanity break in the US!  Isn’t that just great?!

That’s how a Christian celebrates Ramadhan and Lebaran!

Is it just me or there really is an earthquake?

At around 3.30PM today, Indonesia was hit by an earthquake measured at intensity 7.3 from the Richter scale.  In the middle of composing an email while gulping my staple You-C1000 orange isotonic drink, I saw the seemingly crazy drastic movement of papers in my “in-out” tray and eventually felt my table moving, accompanied by an irritating, yet subtle squeaking sound.  First thought was: “Is it just me, or there really is an earthquake happening right at this second?”.  To validate my hypothesis, I immediately opened the door of my office and saw everyone standing with puzzled faces.  Next thing I know, I was following my colleagues as we all went down the building grounds (the consolation is that I am just at the third floor, so going down to the ground floor wasn’t really a pain).  True enough, it was not just me feeling dizzy or tipsy in a zero-alcohol-intake situation, but there really was an earthquake!

As the rest of the building employees gathered near the parking space, I got into the auto-pilot mode of texting my family that the incident had happened and I am doing just fine, and at the same time, updated my Facebook status.  The funny thing was, my Blackberry was the only thing that I brought down with me – comparing with the rest of the people who generally brought along their bags, laptops and other important stuff, I ended up not even having my wallet on my pocket!  What does that say about me and my instincts in unexpected situations like this?!  Hmmm…  Time to revisit my values and priorities, I suppose!  Hahaha!

After almost 10 minutes of standing on the safe place, we all headed back to where we were before the earthquake happened – back to normal, business as usual.  As I have not seen the news yet, I don’t really know the extent of the damage that this “barely a minute” shaking has done to Indonesia.  A couple of months ago, the Jakarta hotel bombings, today a natural disaster!  Geeez, what’s happening, ya?  While I don’t want to expect and think of tragic situations, there’s a saying that “they usually come in threes”, hopefully that code will not apply to this scenario…

Yogyakarta: A Glimpse of Indonesia’s Real Culture

Given that 20 July, which falls on a Monday is a holiday, it was again a long weekend in Indonesia.  As such, it became a personal mandate to take Friday off and go on an out-of-town trip to have a mini-break from the stressful work-life in Jakarta for at least 4 days.  While Bali was a no-brainer choice, I realized that I have to get out of that “Bali comfort zone” and explore the other “worthy to visit” provinces in this country.  After not thinking too hard, I chose Yogyakarta – the home of the famous Borobudur temple, which used to be part of the original “7 Wonders of the World”.

Day 1:  FEELING QUITE DISAPPOINTED

I arrived in Yogya’s airport at around 12 noon.  As usual, I was greeted and picked up by the hotel’s driver.  As it was a long weekend, the office secretary didn’t have much options for my accommodations – the hotels that are known to be fine and value-for-money (Mercure, Novotel, Mulia) were all fully booked!  Hence, I settled in a traditional 3-star hotel called Puri Artha, but before approving the recommendation, I checked the reviews from the internet first and realized that it wasn’t really that bad, so I gave it a go.  Unfortunately, I felt cheated by the reviews and pics from the net as the actual place did not match my expectations – bottomline, it was a very old hotel that appears to be not so well maintained!  After smelling the room assigned to me, I simply browsed for other hotel options in Yogya and called them myself.  After 30 minutes of making cold calls, 2 options opened: a presidential suite in Sheraton which I can immediately occupy that day or a deluxe room in Hyatt that I can take the day after.  Given budget considerations, I chose the latter after realizing that one dreadful night in the ugly hotel will not really kill me.  Note to self: Your aspiration of becoming a backpacker may just be an influence of watching NatGeo Adventure channel too much, yet deep down, you really are a lavish traveler, wanting the best of everything – your hotel room standard is something that should look better than your home bedroom!

To ease my first disappointment, I started my travel adventure by hitting the road after taking my simple Ikan Goreng (fried rice with grilled and buttered shrimp) lunch.  In today’s agenda (which was drafted by my very helpful Account Executive who was originally from Yogya): Malioboro street, Bank Indonesia, BNI building, Alun Alun and becak ride.

Malioboro street is a very long stretch (almost 2 kilometers if I’m not mistaken) of market stalls where all the specialties of Yogya (or should I say, Indonesia) can be found – and the nice thing about it is that they are all so cheap!  Batik (this place is the home of this famous textile, by the way), wayang, paintings, handicrafts, footware, furniture, shirts, you name it, they have it all!  Perhaps I was so overwhelmed with all the merchandise that I saw, I ended up buying only a couple of pieces.  Hahaha!

After practicing my haggling skills using a foreign language (I need to sound like a local so that the vendors won’t take advantage of my being a foreigner), I took the “becak” as my ride going to Alun-Alun Square a.k.a. the sultan’s ground.  Becak is Indonesia’s version of the Philippines’ pedicab, the only difference is that the bicycle is on the back, instead of on the left side and the front is open, allowing the passenger to have a better view of what’s in front.  As it was quite late already, the Alun-Alun square looked dead, so I just stopped by the famous building structures in the area and took photos of them.  Similar to the buildings in old Jakarta that still have that Dutch influence, Bank of Indonesia and BNI in Yogya also have the look.

The first day ended in a place and ride that are in total contradiction of finding the place’s real culture – a mall and a taxi!  Wahahaha!  Again, while the objective is clear, sometimes it’s difficult not to get a piece of comfort – so I decided to have dinner in Malioboro mall and a taxi ride going back to the disappointing hotel.

DAY 2:  EXPERIENCING THE REAL YOGYA AND A REAL VACATION

As expected, the front desk officer was surprised by my early check out.  Without elaborating on my issues to not make her feel bad (I’m starting to become Javanese!), I paid the 1-night bill and went off to my first destination for the day via the car rental that was arranged by the office’s official travel agent.

Initial stop is in Prambanan complex, the home of more than a hundred ancient temples, ak.a. candi, archeological structures of either Buddhism or Hinduism, during the very early centuries.  Walking towards the gigantic first set of collective temples (Vishnu, Nandi, Garuda) gave shivers on my spine.  It’s quite hard to put it in words, but seeing the wonderfully crafted structure with its exquisite details simply put me in awe.  Not to mention the intriguing myth that defined the essence of these temples – a man was in love with this woman (Lara Djonggrang), but the feeling was not mutual, so the woman tried to trick the man by asking him to build 100 temples in 30 days to win her heart, on the 30^th day, the man completed building 99 temples and the woman rejected him for not being able to finish 100, the story ended with a tragedy when the man killed the woman and made her the 100^th temple.  It was also mentioned that since this place is cursed, lovers who visit the place together will end up separating (well, ain’t applicable to me as I was there alone – what’s new?!).

I kept walking in the huge complex and found myself in another temple called Sewu.  This is where I found great serenity as there were only 4 or 5 people including myself in the said place.  I settled in a small temple, plugged my ear plugs and smoked 3 sticks while reflecting about life.  Not realizing the time, I spent half of my day exploring the amazing venue.  I bid goodbye to Prambanan after taking an equally good lunch (Bistik Daging, nasi putih, Tehbotol) at the resto inside the place.

The Prambanan was just the start of the temple-hopping adventure.  The driver took me to more breathtaking temple ruins: Boko – a high level structure which according to the water vendor that I was able to talk to in the place, is a famous venue for weddings and other important functions; Kalasan – a typical candi that is easily accessible on the side of the road.

At around 3PM, I asked my very pleasant Innova driver to take me to Hyatt first as I’m scheduled to check in that afternoon.  After walking into the lobby and seeing the deluxe room I managed to reserve, I would have to say that it was the best decision that I did the day before!  Finally, I can now smell the “real scent of vacation”!

After an hour of freshening up (by the way, the only party-pooper is the very hot and humid weather), I’m back on the road to visit more places.  Next stop was the sultan’s water temple called Taman Sari in the Kraton area.  The place was also very interesting – quite sleazy though.  The concept was that there are two huge swimming pools and in the middle of it is a high temple.  The sultan looks out at the temple and chooses who among his 40 wives he wants to spend time with.  After choosing, “the lucky one, two or three” will transfer to the other pool to meet the sultan!  Goes to show that conceptually, “girls with numbers” and “orgies” originated way way back!  Hahaha!

Still in the same compound, which by the way was inhabited by the sultan family’s servants (doing tour guide side jobs for foreigners visiting the area), I toured an underground temple and various painting shops.  I bought a couple of interesting pieces, which hopefully will fit my room back home!  I concluded the day with a sumptuous dinner in a casual dining place called Sagan Resto where I gastronomically feasted on prawns and mushroom chicken – yum!

While it was a very productive and enjoyable day, I won’t deny the fact that it was also damn tiring – considering that I view “walking” to be such a pain!  So, to temporarily heal my aching body and put me to a great sleep, the ended the night with a full body massage in the hotel.

DAY 3:  ULTIMATE DIVERSITY

The day started early, I was picked up at 8.30 AM by my new found friend Pak Dwi, the car rental’s driver.  From the city, our first destination is Magelang, where the used to be world famous Borobudur temple is situated.  After an almost hour and a half of land trip, I’ve reached the number one “must see” candi in Yogya.  Perhaps I was not the only one who has this thought in mind considering that there are hundreds of people at the entrance of the place!  Fortunately, there are two entrances that divides (or should I say discriminates locals and foreigners), and the booth for non-locals is air-conditioned and has a very short queue – yet, the fee is significantly much higher versus that of the country citizens.

From a distance, you can already see the glorious view of Borobudur – and yes, without exaggeration, it was really “glorious”.  Before racing to the actual candi, I sneaked in to a tour group to have a “free explanation” from the official guide about the history of the temple and a topline overview of Buddhism.  Interestingly, my “intentional eavesdropping” helped me understand the significance of each level of the temple, as I move up every step until I reached the peak called “main stupa”.  Further, it made me appreciate the essence of the religion, which appears to be the ultimate journey towards discipline, self-content and peaceful heart.  Honestly, if I were to assess my level, I am just a struggling soul at its starting point, i.e. trying to get out of materialism, worldliness and a life driven by emotions!  Frankly, in the society where we are living, reaching the ultimate level of Buddhism is way too hard – hence, for those who religiously and non-hypocritically practice the essence of this belief, I salute you all!

Admittedly, the Prambanan experience turned out to be more solemn and meaningful to me compared to the Borobudur tour – perhaps, I can attribute it to the perception that the latter is like a commercial landmark where people flock just to take photos of them in the candi, without really understanding the essence of what they are seeing.  To put it simply, it’s like comparing Lombok versus Bali, where the former provides an opportunity to feel the peaceful ambience of the beach and the latter is a party island that defines the meaning of what “fun” is all about.  Another important item to note though, I was able to touch the hands of the budha inside the temple – according to myths, being able to do so will allow you to fulfill your wish.

Next stop is a Buddhist monastery called “Mendut”.  It sounds funny in Filipino as the name reminds you of a Pinoy term that has a green connotation.  Nothing really spectacular about the place, but there are photo-worthy images that didn’t miss my eyes…

As I was nearly starving to death, Pak Dwi took me to the next breathtaking view where I had my Ayam Goreng and Sop Buntut lunch.  The place is called Ketep Pass, a one-stop venue where tourists can see the view of an active (they said) volcano called Gunung Merapi and at the same time, see a museum that says everything about it – unfortunately, there was no English translation, so I only understood 30% of what I have read!  If I were to find a comparable landmark in the Philippines, the place is like Tagaytay – quite cold, volcano is the main tourist spot and has a lot of food stalls.

After a couple of hours in Ketep Pass, I went back to the car.  As I was full and tired, I easily fell asleep.  Our next stop will be one of the famous beaches of Yogya called Parangtritis.  Since Magelang was far from the next destination (about 2 hours), I was advised by the driver to sleep first.  After 120 minutes, I woke up with a view of Parangtritis beach, perfect timing as the sun was about to set.

While I was not really expecting a “fucking nice beach” as Yogya is not really known to be a destination for such a thing, the sight was really not that inviting, unless I was again ruled by my discriminating taste.  But then again, I came back to my senses and realized that I was there to have a diverse experience.  Thus, I threw my hesitation out of the window and marched to the black-sand public beach and entertained myself by the interesting sights that the place offered – kites flying all over, horse carriages (called “andong”) by the shore, market stalls selling anything and everything, lovers flirting, families enjoying.

I ended the day by trying Yogya’s signature local delicacy for dinner called “Gudeg” – a curry of jackfruit, chicken and egg served with rice.  Over-all, the food was good – I just needed to add a bit of salt to address its seemingly bland or non-flavorful taste.

DAY 4:  LAST-LEG OF GETTING HANDS-ON TO YOGYA’S CULTURE

As it was my last day, it was on purpose that I decided to just stay in the whole morning and maximize what Hyatt can offer.  After taking my last continental breakfast, I headed to the pool – had a quick dip and proceeded to one of the seats to bask under the sun while reading my chosen book for this travel – “How Starbucks Saved My Life”.

After checking out at 1PM, I was taken by Pak Dwi to Museum Kreta – the sultan’s carriage museum.  It was fascinating to see a total of 24 horse-drawn carriages under one roof and the way they look.  While touring the museum, I just realized that it was amazing to tangibly see this mode of transportation by the royals, which I used to have a picture in my head just from fairy tales and parables.

Next stop is the Batik center (unfortunately, I forget its name).  I am honestly not such a huge fan of the said textile, but I ended up buying one piece.  What’s more interesting though is that there were old ladies in the shop who were doing the Batik!  As I was interested to see the process, I approached them, interviewed them (in my trying hard Bahasa Indonesia) and was made to try doing the actual thing!  After finding out how difficult the process is, I respected this artistic cultural heritage much more.

Last stop before catching my flight back to Jakarta was one of the famous silver shops in the city.  Yogya is also quite famous for this industry given that it’s a rich source of the said precious metal.  Again, for the first time, I witnessed the process of jewelry making using silver as the primary ingredient.  To thank the friendly lady who toured me in the plant and carefully explained to me the steps, I bought a bracelet which will be a great remembrance of the place that I would not forget and perhaps revisit again in the future.

While Jakarta was mourning due to the terrorist attack in Ritz Carlton and Marriot hotels during that weekend, I found myself comforted by an experiential and complete sensory adventure that allowed me to appreciate and give respect to my new second home country, Indonesia.  I am indeed thankful that I have chosen Yogyakarta to be that weekend’s destination of choice, as I came to realize that one would not have been to Indonesia not only without enjoying Bali, but also without experiencing the country’s real rich culture, that is Yogyakarta…

New Marketing Facet – Learned!

One of life’s greatest diversions to get away from boredom is learning – a modest opportunity that allows us to realize that there are still tons of important things that we know nothing about. It is a great tool that keeps us grounded on where we stand, an immense power with a gravitational pull that brings us back to our senses – establishing the realization that every single day is indeed a gift to sharpen not only our competencies, but also our character.

Last weekend was again a great struggle – I should have flown myself back to Manila to be part of my first cousin’s wedding, but the requisites of my job did not allow me to do the said necessity. Instead, I found myself in Bali for four long days (not for a holiday, unfortunately) to help facilitate one of the agency’s PR projects for one very important client. Honestly, my knowledge of PR is almost zero to none – the closest I had was doing PR briefs for my brands in my previous company and having our in-house PR manager execute the PR component of each campaign that I’ve launched. Doing this hands-on for the first time is both exciting and scary – perhaps, it’s because of the natural feeling of “fearing the unknown” – but fortunately, it all turned out well.

In addition to learning the basics of the said marketing facet, such as: babysitting journalists (yeah, sounds so pathetic), reviewing and completing press kits, bringing participants in specific locations during the press tour and managing one-on-one interviews between the VIPs and journalists (the scenario made me remember the scene in the movie “Notting Hill” – wahahaha!), the experience also allowed me to learn more about the culture of this country where I’m currently in. It’s funny to know that after being in Bali twice before this visit, I still know very less about what Denpasar can offer – the place is definitely very rich, it’s beyond beaches and great food, but it offers a deeper understanding of Indonesia’s dynamic and diverse culture, especially in the realm of arts and creativity. Further, the trip gave me the chance to see a supershow by the world-renowned Japanese designer and producer, Kansai Yamamoto – the show was thrilling and the finale simply put me in awe!

Some pics below to help you visualize…

 

Garuda Wisnu Kencena – the enchanting event venue

 

Giant Garuda – Indonesia’s symbolic image, immortalized in this cultural park

 

Kansai Yamamoto’s Festival of Life rehearsal

 

Grand formation with “Indonesia Pusaka” as a background tune

 

Antique traditional dolls and keris in one of the nicest shops in Seminyak

 

More authentic antiques…

 

The “almost complete” PR team at Rosso Vitto, Kuta

 

In the world famous “Jenggala” plant

 

Before the ceramics are baked…

 

At the shop – masarap sana bilihin lahat kung di lang mejo mahal!

 

And there goes the ambush interview!!!

 

With my new found partner in crime, Kandi – an epitome of what a true GM should be!

 

Anticipating the grand finale of Kansai Yamamoto’s super show

 

Hot-air balloon end-scene

 

One of Ubud's finest... Hand-made textile...

 

"Threads of Life" - Final output is more than one year in the making... Uses natural method of coloring...

 

One original design for each...

 

Perfect mix of Bali's way of life - arts and motorcycles!

 

 

 

 

unexpected retreat in lombok

(note: this is a very old story already – if i remember right, it was last february, but given my long absence due to crazy work sked, it’s only now that i found the time to post it…)

· arriving at mataram airport, where lombok seats was a breath of fresh air. the rather provincial and quaint looking stopover signified the start of another unique and much needed alone time, for a tired soul longing for quiet and rest.

· i was greeted by the customary placard with my name on it. my welcoming party was consisted of one person, a local sasak (that’s the ethnic group name of people inhabiting the island) driver whom i forgot the name (kinda hard to pronounce, as usual). the trip from the airport to the hotel arranged for me by the office secretary was an hour – around 40 kilometers if i’m not mistaken. the fairly long trip reminded me of the land trip (inclusive of dirt roads) from laoag to pagudpud – same surroundings, kind of the same distance also.

· the access road to novotel started my amazement and really validated that i’m ought to spend a long weekend in paradise. the pathway was beautifully adorned by traditional lighted mini-huts and the trail led to the resort’s reception area. checking in at 11pm kinda lessened the glorious ambience, but i still felt the promising air that the place was pounding into my head.

· upon entering my box for the next three days, a deluxe room with garden terrace, i wasn’t able to help it but say “whoa, this is so nice”, out loud. perhaps, the bellboy thought that i’m such a deprived young man, really astonished by the charm of the resort. oh well, that’s what i felt at that moment… just keepin it real!

· since i was starving already, i just ordered room service – spaghetti bolognese, a bowl of fries and diet coke. i feasted on my first meal while adjusting to the heavenly place that was indeed a perfect place to hibernate.

· waking up on a queen size bed was quite a different experience (as i’m used to a smaller one, i.e. king size), especially if you were awaken not by your usual alarm, but by the rays of sunshine. just freshened up and headed to the breakfast buffet. the food was pretty standard, nothing spectacular. again, i was caught in the middle of vacationers who are in pairs or in groups, and they are caucasians (majority of them).

· toured the resort to really feel it. took lots of photos again as almost all corners feature something that deserves a shot! the exterior, the interior and everything in between reflected that everything in this place was indeed well thought of.

· now came the favorite activity – settle along the shore with earplugs in my ears (emo genre as the usual tone), sunglasses on my eyes and a book between my fingers. laying down here with only a handful of people set a feeling of tranquility – it’s like a retreat where you get to talk to yourself and to god, it’s an escape from the troublesome city life, an unprecedented rare chance to hibernate. after reading more than 30 pages of “the shack”, i had this profound feeling again… while time seems to move at a very slow pace, my every breath made me think of my life – where i wanna go, what i’m set to do, what comes next, how i truly feel in general. these questions sporadically comes, but when it does, it’s good to take a moment and think about possible answers even if in the end, uncertainty still fills the gap.

· lunch at 3pm is another way to break my routinary life (yes, i’m the typical person who’s psychologically programmed to feel the need for a mid-day meal at 12nn). mixed sate (ayam, kambing, babi) with nasi putih! glorious!

· the afternoon gave me the opportunity to get even more lazy. just had a mandatory siesta while star world was turned on.

· dinner time – another gastronomic feast this time thru a chinese buffet (yup, the resort aligned it menu with the chinese new year celebration). needless to say, it was a something that i enjoyed (perhaps anything food related is unquestionably a grand event for me). yet, an irritarting source of anxiety (to exaggerate a bit) shot me in the head – again, i was caught in the middle of a row of tables occupied by couples! to make the matters worse, there’s a group of local amigos going from one table to another to serenade the irritatingly happy couples! argh! yeah, moments like this strikes me defenseless and thinking – what is there to enjoy if you don’t have someone special to share it with?! oh well, my quick answer was to finish my meal hurriedly, walk out of the crossfire and go somewhere that celebrates the joy of singlehood! don’t get me wrong, i’m not bitter, but i’m just being honest about what I feel – sometimes, the thought of being single and uncommitted is like a brick that hits me. but yeah, god is fair – i can’t really have it all… right at this moment, for that matter.

· my feet brought me to the lone bar in the resort – had my standard double vodka + sprite while having a small talk with the bartender – the topic is also the standard where-i-was-from and what-i-was-doing-in-indonesia. and for today, strangers’ inquiry of my nationality was consistent to be oh-you-are-from-singapore?! oh well, i’m now starting to doubt my filipino/indonesia looks to have evaporated in favor of the 25% blood that runs in my veins (yup, i’m partly chinese – for those who may not know).

· the third day of the retreat continued. after a hefty buffet brunch, again i settled in my place under the sun while flippin the pages of the book that i’m 75% through. god really has unexplainable ways, after further digesting this “life changing” book – it was clear to me – he really bought me here so we can communicate. it’s a bit freaky that i felt how this book talks to me as if it were made just for me – with messages that are customized to hit me straight to the heart. if this is what it would take for me to understand spirituality better (that i had to go in a secluded island just to reunite with my god), i wouldn’t have qualms about doing it over and over. its not an excuse to find a way for me to bask under the sun, it’s just what I can consider to be my “shack” (if i sound so weird already, it would be better for you to pick up a copy of this amazing book by william young – read thru it and you might also be drawn away, leaps and bounds!).

city-hopping in indonesia

(note: this is a very old story already – if i remember right, it was last january, but given my long absence due to crazy work sked, it’s only now that i found the time to post it…)

it’s been more than two weeks since my last post – needless to say, there’s no other reason for the absence but the busy schedule at work. well, the past couple of weeks had been very eventful – another roller coaster ride that’s worth writing about – at least there was some sort of a consolation.

i spent 18-21 january in a city-hopping tour in 3 areas in indonesia that i have not been in. it was a market visit for a client wherein the primary objective is to have an in-depth knowledge about the consumers in the specific locations, and at the same time, see the retail environment so as to further align our communications strategies and tactics in building the client’s brands.

first stop was pekanbaru. the place resembles small cities in mindanao where islam is well-entrenched. to me, it’s like zamboanga, a quiet and small community that projects simplicity and humility – the people are generally timid and soft-spoken, but has that ready-smile to make you feel their warmth and sincere hospitality.

san ka pa? nagbebenta sila ng mga "puki" dito sa side streets!

usual padang food, pekanbaru style

from pekanbaru, we flew to batam. this place amazed me – i felt like i was not in indonesia! it was clean and things seem to have order (relatively speaking). this place is well-known as the country’s industrial zone with ports that separate indonesia from singapore by only an hour. perhaps it’s one of the reasons why it has some sort of similarity to singapore. i learned that using the route jakarta-batam-singapore is a cheap way to reach singapore, only a domestic plane and a 45 minute ferry ride amounting to approximately php 6k. not bad right?

napaaga kami ng dating - next year pa daw dapat pumunta!

the place separating jkt from sg by 45 mins!

kainan

ang isdang maanghang!

ayam bakar - ang sarap nito dahil gutom ako!

last in the list is padang. for me, the main attraction in this stop is the food as i learned to appreciate and love padang food (karinderya food sa atin, kumbaga) that regularly patronize in jakarta. going around the place is like traveling the rural areas of laguna. yet, the funniest thing happened to me in this place! in one of the houses where we conducted the consumer interviews, i was asked by this certain grandmother if i want to marry know her granddaughter and eventually marry her! not only that, as being circumcised is important among muslims, she candidly asked in front of more than 20 people in the group, if i am circumcised! bwahahahaha! since i received a tip from my officemate to be careful in this area (kasi dito daw yung may mga mangkukulam), i cheerfully (and proudly) said that i was “cut” when i was 8 years old. that experience was really hilarious that i won’t forget it in my entire life!

first time to use mandala - not bad, nakarating naman ng maayos kahit paano...

ang moske

ang totoong padang food

ganto ang mga bubong nila - kwento daw ng dalawang torong nag-giyera yan!

ang landmark ng bukitinggi

parang nasa tagaytay lang ako!

with kabayang zu!

with emcee and our tour guide (nakalimutan ko pangalan nya!)

bali escape

the past two weeks had been extremely busy for me (until now, actually) – the feeling is like i’m a one-man-band in a 24-hour concert. picture that! so as the week ended – friday night, i went a little crazy – just impulsively decided to book a ticket and hotel to visit and stay in bali for the first time, alone, over the long weekend! Mindset was – “be adventurous, do whatever, give yourself a break, indulge and feel the expat life, go get a piece of happiness!” so here are some thoughts written down as i explored and enjoyed bali!

1. jakarta‘s jw airport lounge is overpriced. let-down food, stinky toilet, crappy smoking room exhaust. never again!

2. assigned planes on domestic airport gates keep on changing. what’s the point of having a gate number printed on the boarding pass & having something different on the flight schedule monitor and on the actual gates?! duh! why do they make it so damn complicated?!

3. wearing sunglasses while in the boarding gate may appear weird to some – though not for me and the four other youngsters here.

4. then I’ve arrived. my impression – one small city beautifully situated in a beach. has a suburb charm. a place I would be going in and out often I guess.

5. first meal: saturday dinner. rosso viro, italian resto under chef roberto bogni. i had scaloppine di pollo alla panna e funghi (pan fried chicken breast in creamy mushroom sauce). it was just heavenly! simply a perfect first meal! standard iced lemon tea drink on the side and “the purple” – a vodka-based lychee cocktail to end the initial feast.

6. people walk around with beer cans or bottles clasped in their hands – such a carefree and i’ll-simply-enjoy-my-life look. why can’t we have this mindset anywhere and everywhere? why do we need a party place as valid license to do it?

7. walking from kuta main street to legian is quite tiring if you’re in an oversized havaianas. good thing though is that you’d see a lot of things that will amaze you – from restos, bars, clubs, boutiques, jewelry shops, market stalls, coffee shops, reflexology & massage centers, tourist info booths, convenience stores, stray dogs, taxis, horse carriages, locals offering various services and tons and tons and tons of motorbikes! ohhh, have i mentioned motorbikes?

8. people are generally nice, friendly & can speak decent english (yup, a whole lot better than in jakarta as 10 people out of 10 that i’ve spoken to can articulately, relatively speaking, speak the language). it really pays off to be a tourist capital of a country – people are forced (perhaps) to act accommodating and speak the universal language.

9. nothing beats the massage by the beach – natural ambient sounds, windy breeze, sand on your skin, and of course the relaxing mix of trained hands with aromatic oil.

10. bali locals are so creatively enterprising – they offer a whole lot of things and charge for everything. if i were to read their minds, the only objective is to get as much money they can from tourists! would you believe, a woman forced me to buy bracelets from her coz she pulled a strand of white hair from my head while being massaged by another old lady?! (note to self, having a white hair, even just a strand is not a good sign – I’m only 28 damn it!) arggghhh! so annoying! with that, my most used statement that morning was “no, thank you!”.

11. in the strip where i am in now, i am the only asian tourist. most of them look european and caucasian. they seem to be loving kuta so much – pity them, boracay’s and palawan’s white, fine sand is still a whole lot better. yeah, the beach itself is kind of a let down, but I won’t discount the fact that the experience so far is extremely nice! simply put, bali is a little bit overrated, but its dynamism will allow you to explore what you want in an island, to warrant the raves it received from the world.

12. it’s a surfer’s paradise, some people dub. true enough, it is – there are even mnemonic devices to prove the point.

13. amongst all the hard rock cafes and hotels i’ve been to, bali earns my vote for being the “most unique”. it is well well customized to the balinise look and feel, yet the atmosphere remains “hard rock”, just like the starbucks in ongpin and jollibee in pagudpud.

14. as all tourists here are on vacay mode and are simply embracing good vibes, everyone’s extra friendly. no need to think twice of talking to someone, nice thing about it is that you’ll even find more entertainment from them especially if you’re alone. aside from the locals that i’ve spoken to, i made acquaintances with a couple of australian girls and an old bloke from czech republic. many more to come tonight.

15. staying just in kuta is not a good idea. so i rented a car with a driver to take me around. i’m in jimbaran beach now – a stretch of seafood restos, while waiting for the sun to set, while listening to classic bossa, while relaxing on a wooden seat along the shore, while enjoying a gastronomical feast, while taking pictures of the amazing horizon, while feeling that this is life, while thinking why life can’t be like this everyday!

16. learned a few bits from my rent-a-car driver about Hinduism (the prominent religion in bali). canang – morning and afternoon ceremonial activity, this box-container made from coconut leaves has flowers (5 colors) and uncooked rice, it is lit for blessing & thanksgiving in the morning and evening respectively. also, the rationale why there are no tall buildings in bali? it’s also part of the belief, i.e. no building should be higher than 15 feet or taller than the usual coconut tree! very interesting.

17. now i’m this coffe shop recommended by my officemate called cafe moka to have coffee (latte, as usual) and dessert (éclair and truffles). it’s a standard, cozy coffee place in seminyak. the area is filled with posh boutiques and shops beside each other. it reminds me of liliw in laguna and carmel in california – tiny shops with good finds. this area really has an endearing suburb feel that will charm the laid-back person in you.

18. haven’t done club hopping for such a long time – college years I guess was the last time. being in bali is a license to do all that again – if i were to count it, i went into 5 places which translated to 5 drinks, random acquaintances from all over the globe & interesting conversations that made this vacation alone a fun one.

19. when you’re in a vacay mode, your tendency is not to have a care in the world – all you want is to have fun to the point of splurging! I was kinda victimized by the commercialized thought, good enough I was able to take control of getting the wallet out of my pocket to buy stuff that i may not necessarily need now or even in the future! the strip in the matahari block was quite tempting though!

20. the hardest thing to do when your holiday is about to finish is packing your luggage! literally – kinda difficult to organize & fit in used clothing & new stuff you bought; figuratively – your mind says you have to go to face your real life again, but your heart says, you just want the escape to be permanent coz life seems easier and better this way! but, life’s real – we are not living in a fantasy world, or should i say i don’t have the courage and means yet to do so. perhaps upon retirement (hopefully still at age 40), i can make this fantasy world an everyday destination.

21. the smoking booths in indonesia airports are really funny – it’s like a birdcage with a welcome signage: “enter at your own risk – this booth will ensure that you’ll suffocate at the short term, and get lung cancer at the long term”.

in an hour, i will be bidding bali farewell. for a first-time trip, i’ll give this one 9 out of 10. the 1 point deficit to make it excellently superb will be reserved the next time I go back to this superficially “carpe diem” destination. hopefully, the second-time-in-bali trip happens soon… very soon!

first out-of-jakarta-within-indonesia experience: bandung (a.k.a. to me as subic and tagaytay combined)!

last sunday, the team went out-of-town for a personal/pleasure trip (personal expense as well). around 25 of us (from accounts, creative, production, i.t. and office administration) rented a tourist bus and went straight away to bandung at 6:30 in the morning.

i was pretty excited since it was my first time to get out of the hustle & bustle and traffic & pollution of jakarta, not to mention that it was also my first time to join the whole team (almost) in an “outing”. since i didn’t know what to expect, i just enjoyed every single moment – upholding the mantra that i’ve long aspired for, i.e. “carpe diem”!

the atmosphere while in the bus is also like a typical pinoy excursion – ang mga kalog na personalidad ang live entertainment sa kanilang pagpapatawa – jokes (from the most wholesome to the sleaziest) were thrown to keep everyone laughing to death (thanks to my seatmate who patiently translated everything to me – kawawa naman sya – bwahahahaha!), may baon ding pagkain ang lahat para habang umaandar ang bus ay busog, we also stopped in a gas station with a convenience store para mag rest room at mag-yosi, after the laughter died down a bit – natulog din ang iba, meron ding mga nakasaksak ang ear plugs to hear music from their ipods, others are playing psp games and some are into sending ym messages or surfing thru their blackberry units. bottomline, very pinoy talaga ang eksena (just discount the fact na iba ang lenggwaheng gamit).

after almost three hours, we finally got to our first stop – rumah mode, a factory outlet. it’s the typical factory outlet like those in subic and also california’s gilroy, where branded stuff are sold at almost half (or even more than half) the price – polo, hermes, zara, abercrombie, armani, hugo boss, tommy hilfiger, quicksilver, rip curl, adidas and a whole lot more! sa pagka-overwhelm, dampot na lang ako ng dampot! bwahahahaha!

next stop is to have a quick coffee fix in a place called java coffee. first time to taste the real javanese coffee! since i’m not a hard-core and discriminating coffee drinker, twas just the same to me – nothing spectacular!

then lunch came in next. this turned out to be one of the most interesting experiences in this trip as we had it in a side walk – glorified real street/native food. i had sate ayam with lontong (ata, nakalimutan ko na name – basta, para syang suman!) and tehbotol – the bottled tea na parang national drink ng indonesia (lasang gumamela, pero i’m starting to appreciate it – acquired taste kumbaga).

after eating, we went to another strip of factory outlets. ang dami nila at tabi-tabi pa – para silang nagkalat na sari-sari store! i literally got tired of flipping hangers! wahahahaha! so yun, panay ang kaskas ko ng debit card – got a total of 8 shirts, 2 board shorts, 2 casual shorts, 2 pairs of shoes and 1 jacket! waaaahhhh!

after raiding all the shops, we went to this place called prima rasa where we got oleh-oleh (pasalubong sa tagalog). they sell pastries and other local sweets – parang colette’s sa atin. ang mga binili ko naman dito e layer cake, wafer-like na instead cream ang laman e pressed cotton candy, chicharong paa ng manok at intestines, at flat barquillios na gawa sa matamis na saging! nakalimutan ko na ang local names nila e! hahaha!

dinner time… we went to this very nice place na nasa taas ng bundok! eto na yung what i said was like tagaytay. since nasa bundok sya at medyo umulan, malamig talaga. if i were to compare it to a place in tagaytay, para syang pinaghalong sonya’s garden at bag of beans na nasa bundok! in addition to the very nice ambience, masarap din ang pagkain – roasted chicken, crispy tilapia, veggie salad, jasmine tea at salabat in the end! yummy! i sponsored the meal for everyone – my way na rin of saying “thank you” to these people who welcomed me and had been so nice to me over the last nearly four months. bukod sa nasarapan at nabusog ako, mas naging masarap ang pakiramdam na na-appreciate nila kahit paano ang small effort na pinakita ko. saya!

then we headed back home to jakarta and arrived past midnight. pagod ang lahat kaya tahimik na ang bus, siguro dahil din sa realidad na kinabukasan, trabaho nanaman! pero ang importante, everyone had fun – to prove it further, the following day, the team’s planning for the next outing, and i’m so up for it as i’m looking to see more of indonesia – bali, lombok, bogor, puncak, surabaya, yogyakarta, etc! it’s a way to also indicate that i’m working to live and not living to work!