Highlight of the year!

Watched Bon Jovi's concert in Emirates Palace... need I say more???:)

Living Room

First appearance can be deceiving....

Guest Room

Guest room - now it is my ironing room and scale-room (yes I put a weight scale here)

Blue bike with red lock

Sepeda baruku

berwarna biru

dengan gembok merah

hasil paket murah meriah

kalau berjalan bunyi keriat keriut

kayak nenek kena sakit otot

satu hal bikin aku sebal bah

belum apa apa setang udah mencong sebelah!

Sick

I don't want to work!

I am sick of it.. I am sick of everything!

Why can't I wake up late and do nothing the whole day? Why can I not talk to the people I don't want to talk? Why can I not do the things I hate on following up? Why can't I be together with my friends and love ones, not stuck here and feel so lonely?

(my symptoms of needing vacation)

Taxi Drivers in Abu Dhabi

There are 3 main type of taxis in this town:

1. the cheapest taxi - usually in white cars with green and gold lining at the back of the cars. This taxis own by individuals and they hire drivers to operate the taxis. The meter start at 2.00 dhs and will increase ~ 1.5 every kms

2. Moderate - nicer taxi - several taxi companies, such: National Taxi, AD Transport, and some other. Variety in car colors, but normally in creme-whiteish cars with yellow lamp on top of cars. The meter starts at 2.5 or 3.5 dhs.

3. The limousine - this cars can be booked and the trip will be more costly compare to other 2 taxis. The meter will start at 10.00 dhs.

In particular, the cheapest taxis - since they are owned by individuals, there is no standard and no complaint can be made to. The drivers are mainly come from Pakistan, India and Bangladesh..Despite the particular origins they are from, the drivers are notorious of some funny, unbelievable acts. AD streets with no numbering system makes it even worse, since sometimes they hardly speak English:

- One time I took a taxi to client office, I mentioned "ZADCO".. then He dropped me at the back of the office, which means that i have either go through parking lots to reach the lobby or walk around the block to reach the front door. So I asked him to turn aroudn and get me to the front side of the building. But no, he persistently stop the car and wait for me to pay and go out. "It's far to go to front of the building, you stop here" (Of course he didn't say that.. but that's what he want to say if he can, bet me!)

- It was weekend, Friday, afternoon. It was a bit difficult to get taxi this time, since the whole town are still sleeping. I wait for 15-min and luckily one taxi pass by. So I jumped in and mentioned Marina Mall - One among 3 big malls in AD. He was confused, so I added: "corniche", still he mentioned some words and at teh end he said "I don't know" and stop the car again. Gosh!... He's a taxi driver in this not so big town and don't now one of the biggest mall in town???

- Do not ever say "near" - some famous place. They just don't get the concept that maybe the destination place is not actually the famous landmarks or places.. but somewhere nearby.

- The best story was when the driver bargained me (in my other blog). I just still feel this is funny, but dare not to happen for the 2nd time!

Week 28 Mar Highlight

2 continuos days of walking and walking
- Friday: went to Mina Center, walked around 3.5 hours to snap some pictures of the boat dock
- Saturday: went to walk around the "White Fort" or Qasr Al Hosn and Cultural Foundation.

Quite a quiet weekend (and the hot one, literally!)

FOCUS!!!.. so difficult..

My attention span is no longer than a 5 years old kid.

I can't ever do a single task until it finish and then do another task, undistracted, continously.
So, the freedom to browse internet (update my blog is one of the example), is a great relief for me. During teh task, I will need to frequently check the mail, check teh Travbud, update my blog, check facebook and friendster, read imdb, and oh ya.. one mail comes in, so I need to re-check my mail:).

I reallyw ant to try to be focused and not getting distracted... but hell.. it is just so difficult and seems impossible.

The sketch

As any other networking web.. facebook is also an extensive source for a self-exhibitionist and show-off things. It allows you to put a sketch of your profile picture. In no chance I would get a painter to sketch me.. so I was thinking that this is the only chance to see my picture.

Week-14 Mar-08 highlight

1. Children Concert and Jazz concert in Cultural Foundation
Amazing moment to se ethe kids playing. I really regret that I don't have any musical talent at all. My favourite show were - 2 siblings, older sister and her younger brother. The brother played guitar, and the sister played piano and sing blues song " route 66".. Her voice... wow.. amazing!!

Then a tiny girl (probably not more than 4 years old - see picture how tiny she is) playing violin with a lady played piano.

2. Lunch Indonesian Food at Bram's - pecel, tempe n tahu goreng, lumpia
Why this is good?

- It's fun to see the boys cooking (good food by the way:p)

- It's nice to gather with fellow Indonesians - altough I get less than 50% of what they're talking about D&M:)

- It's free:)

3. Lazy weekend...no clubbing - still restrain myself not to go.. no accompany helped me achieving this

This week 20-Mar-08 's highlight

1. London Philharmonic Ochestra - Sat 22 Mar 08

2. Al Ain Day tour - Sat 22 Mar 08

3. Thursday 20 Mar 08

- went to Lulu island.. a bit dull, only by myself and not prepared at all... but a good chance to explore. Lulu island is a man-made island, located on the coast of Abu Dhabi. Basically, nothing is in there, but the long white perfect beach, fresh water lake and swimming pool. Normally people come here in groups or family and do bbq at the beach or swimming. The water is crystal blue with lots of fish. I just spent some time there to walk on the beach and tried to catch the pick up bus back to jetty. The entrance fee (inlcuding the tour by bus, boat to and from the island is 15 dhs) add 5 dhs more if you want to take a train ride. too bad that the wheather (and sun) is alreday too hot to be outside within a long time these days)

4. Thursday 20 Mar 08

- Heritage Village. a tourist attraction nearby the jetty for Lulu island. They have a Museum and some copies of old times Bedouin race living - houses, cutlery, weapon, clothes.. as well as authentic camel, falcon, horse and donkey:)

5. One thing notoriously known from taxi driver a.k.a: Pakistani - they treat Asian / phillipines looking woman too general. They think that all can be "bargained". Those things I heard from my friend. But only today I experienced it myself. I hopped in a taxi from Herotage Village, and just after I sat inside, teh driiver asked me "How much?".. I was confused and replied "What?".. and he smirked and said " Dunno, you tell me...". I ignored him since then. It was irritated, but I thought that I don't eed to sweat too much on this.. let them do and think whatever they want too...

have my first apartment... hiyaaa! scary and exciting at te same time!

My first apartment! ever!

Finally i found my apartment.. well actually, the word "find" will not be that suitable, since I didn't really looked for it. Lady in personnel get me a contact from real-estate and she showed me this apartemnt. It located just in the corner of the street, very near to teh office, in fcat from the porch I can see the entrance to the office. And maybe I am matched with number "7".. since there 2 units available were 704 and 602. For sure I chose the 704, not because of teh number, but because the side. The living room will have sun in the evening. This is a 2 bed rooms apartment, with 1 living room, 1 main bath room and kitchen.. with a tiny porch outside. The thing I like about this appartment is the decoration, all white colored walls with lots of built in cabinets in light yellow color. feels so bright and light, not like my current apartment which feels dark, heavy and gloomy with the yellow light lamps and heavy furnitures.

So.. now the adventure of choosing the furnitures and everything inside begin!

Sun-9 Mar 08

- went to the apartment and take a look again.

Sun-9 Mar 08

Went to Shadow and chose the curtain and the carpet.

- embroidery dark maroon for master bed room, with blackout shade (which i've just known that "blackout" is white color:p).

- embroidery beige color for the living room

- cotton, rugged pattern for the guest bed room (try to get a warm - village type of curtain:p)

- The carpet I plan only for the 2 bedrooms, which I chose the medium thickness and broken white color.

The people from the shop will need to go to the apartment and take some measurements.

I like this shop, since the people there are so soft-spoken and helpful.

The days after:

Explore Home Center for some furnitures and get some quotation as well as the electronic from Costless. This is the time to experiment.. who cares is the choices are bad.. I am the only one who will stare at them (an excuse from my-humble-self:p).

This is the bed and bed sheet that I've chosen for my bed room.

The dressing table.

Tiny dinner table: I will put it in the kitchen since there's no designated room for dining table and my living room is full already.

The low desk.. dunno, maybe for TV set.. or just simply the books and accesorries. I'll decide later.

Suddenly just fall in love with this sofa.. although maybe will not match with the room or else... but I will have to have this:)

I just have to have these 2 as well, shoes rack and the chair to wear the shoes in comfortable way

Chest drawer for my bed room

First hangover in Abu Dhabi

It was this weekend when I went with Beng - a colleague from Pekanbaru who come here for a course. We spent the day in Marina Mall, trying to get something to satisfy his pickiness (well, he's Singaporean.. I can't expect too much for -not-being-too-picky from him, eh?:p).

When we're about to go back home, he said that 2 of his classmates headed to the mall as well, so we decided to wait for them.

So, we met them.. now we were: 1 Indonesian girl, 3 guys, Omani, American and Singaporean. Very normal if you are working for Schlumberger (and UNO as well, I guess:) ).

So, they finished eating and invited if I want to join them.."where to?" I asked.. and they, with their usual guy-ness replied " well, everywhere, we'll check each nice spots". What they meant is to do bars-hopping.

So, the Omani guy, Ahmed drives a car, and we stopped a moment back in my place to change and to their place to change as well.

So, because before, I heard this bar called "Rock Bottom", I told them as one of the idea and we headed there.

This bar located in Al Diar Capitol Hotel, in eastern Ring Road. The bar is crowded and quite big, although still full with people. It is combined with a restaurant as well. The choice of songs are good and nice for dancing, but the band was not really good with his shrieking voice and actually the the DJ session is better compare to the band session. Only the "girls" who were dancing on the floor, so it was not really enjoable for me, since I came with 3-veggie guys who didn't want to move and having "not drunk enough" as the reason and no girlfriend to dance together. Couple of time I tried to scoop in and dance in between the people, but I felt not so comfortable and moved back in to join the guys around the bar table. To get in, each of us need to pay 50 dhs, for 2 free drinks, quite a good deal (compare to another stuff price here - since I need to remind myself not to convert each price into rupiah, or else I will live like a monk:p). The crowd is more to arabs/indians and guys-who-I-can't-identify, not so many "bule" here. One guy tried to tease me, guess he's drunk, I just ignore and look the other direction. Here I really feel midget, since everybody else at least 1-half taller and bigger than me... so, not really nice to be swerved around and also can't be seen.

Good thing here is just the song, and oh yea, the Foster beer and Corona I took (after more than 4 months I didn't drink).Finished with the drinks, the guys decided to move to another bar, I was hesitated for a moment, but hell, I wanna see the other place as well.

So we went to Crowne Plaza Hotel, actually just beside my office, and nearby my apartment. It has "Heroes" pub, which the guys went the day before and they promised me that "everybody on the floor". So we went in, no-cover charge or entrance fee.. which is a bit surprise since this was weekend night, but it's good for us anyway. The place is a bit packed and smaller than the first one. The dance floor was small as well. The crowd is more all bule and almost no ayam around. The bad was good, with a lady bassis who played like crazy but very good. Only the choice of songs are very american-rock stuff which was not really comfortable to dance, unless you want to do head banging in every songs. The guys were standing in front of me and I sat in a bar table, when suddenly somebody grabbed me from the back, when I turned my head to see, it was the guy in red shirt, who I already noticed from before, noticed in a way since he was clearly drunk and passed out. I politely hold his arm to restrain him to go closer and asked if he was okay. He didn't answered only smirk and point out his tongue and saw my friends. Too bad actually that he's drunk, since he was kind of cute:).

Then we moved to the seat beside the stage, the band was singing all rock songs. I was watching the screen which was showing sport games, since it looks like this place is a sport bar. Ahmed got me another drink, Corona, actually I asked for water, but dunno why he came back with Corona. Or maybe because I was too tipsy and said corona instead of water?

The red-shirt guy danced in front of the stage and suddenly he (as what Kelli said in his own word) locked me in his sight, by making some move 2 fingers pointing his eyes and then pointing to me.

I was laughing *sigh*..too bad that he's passed out already:)

It was around 2:15 in the morning and the bar will close in another 15 min, so the guys decided to go out and check this bar,in the hotel called Howard Johnson, Kelli said in US this is wellknown sleazy place. So we went out and walked to teh hotel, were stranded a bit before I finally can see the hotel name from afar. We went in, but too bad (or good?) that it was closed. This place is so indian from outside, so I asked the guys if they really wanted to go, but anyway we didn't make it.

So just walked back and they set me off in front of my apartment.

The story hasn't ended yet, the morning I woke up with a very very very bad headache and this nauseous feeling in my stomach. Herlina called to go together for lunch, so I was thinking that I should have something to eat, which turned out to be a bad decision, since:

- The morning when you have hangover, never see the sun.. you are a vampire. The light will kill you .. literally

- Never set a date, especially a date which involve eating or much movement

-Don't see anybody, since you don't want to hurt somebody's feeling in a way since you can't respond well to his/her friendliness and kindness. The hotel waiter was so friendly and generous, giving us free soup and dessert, yet I can't finish them altough it tasted very good, not only I can't finish them, but I can't touch them at all.

- This headache... this is the reason why there is a symptom called headache, it is meant to punish the hangovers:)

Fortunately after we went back home I can puke.. and after that the headache gone and now it feels like I have a beast inside my stomach with this big appetite:)

So, my second weekend here and my first time hangover.. and still has a lot of work to do:)

To ndutty: I wrote this during my hangover, guess that already is an apology:p

New Things in Abu Dhabi

New things, new life, new places...some goods, some bads, some silly, some weirds.. but after all.. this is what I want.

1. Gosh, can't imagine how big their cotton buds size!.. even, for babies!

2. No numbering system in the streets..so, my apartment would be called: Abu Dhabi Plaza, between corner of Electra St and Nadja St.

3. All the town consist of perfectly squared and perpendiculars blocks and roads! Which is good for an amateur traveller (and woman) like myself.

4. The fries here is one of the best fries I've ever tasted (or maybe because the fries in Indonesia just sucks? dunno:p)

5. Very nice to walk around, the breeze and wind and cool, make you be able to wander around for hours without any sweat. (note: only during month dec - feb and after 17:00 pm - 09:00 am)

6. Everything loves to be called "full cream"... desperate to get anything in "low fat".. even some products are proud to put the label of "double cream"

7. Porn channel in the apartment??? no further commment about this..:)

8. I can sense the logic now, why in the developed and modern country... there's no traffic jam and no maids, no traffic means people come back from office quite early (not as Jakarta which at leats took 30 - unlimited mins to reach home, depends on the distance and the road situation of course), then more time at home to do all house chores!.. see the logic now?

9. Always see to the wrong side of the road? this is a big no-no.. very dangerous.. more than one I didn't see the car came fast to my because I was staring at the wrong direction when I was about to cross the street.

10. Free brochures, magazines (of course not the gossip mags), like to get the one from grocery stores and stares at the products:)

11. My addiction to tea is getting more and more serious.. since Dilmah tea is cheap here:). The tea which in Indonesia served in 5-star hotel (and will be damn expensive) here: with 6 dhs I got the 250 gr pack of their green tea. But still I miss Japanese ocha - bottomless:)

12. Thanks to the washing machine: all my underwear changed the color, bluish, reddish and now, unclassified color. I just still can't solve the mistery of which cloth smeared their color to the undies.

13. New kind of loneliness, which feels a bit weird since I've never felt that eventough I was alone in any places in indonesia

Abu Dhabi

I am freezing in the desert..

Hard to believe, but it is true that the apartment in Abu Dhabis is very cold. I thought I have turn off the air con... but the temperature still low. I turned on the water heater to take a bath.. but the water kept cold.. so there I was.. freezing and trembling in the shower.

I've just arrived in Abu Dhabi.. my 5th locations:) (after Jakarta, Balikpapan, Pekanbaru and again - Jakarta). After a long flight, from Sat 23:00 to Sun 10:00, I flew via Singapore and Doha.

Exhausted, sleepy and sad, finally I am here.

Took almost 1 hour to reach the apartment from the airport. Got some problems with the credit card, unfriendly service, limited cash, washing machine which i don't have any idea how to operate..... but I will survive:)

If you thought of the worst possible thing might happen, believe me, it will!

Above title is not just a non-sense thing. I start to believe it (and I'd better have) after several times I recall that It actually had happened to me.

The last event was a bid submission, in which I am working for. For the last 1 week we were so busy and tied-up with this project, finding the equipment and cost, find the economical cost, find the estimation of project and operational expenditure. Be in the office and discussed about all of these until late at night. The momentum was tense and tiring. So the submission date should be the end of this.
I woke up in the morning of the sumission day. I didn't washed my hair and a-half-teasing myself of maybe this will bring a bad luck. Then I wore a black shirt, with 1 button missing (and again, teased my thought by saying: what bad luck it will bring). Just feeling to confident that everything ha sbeen prepared and planned in well manner and professional way.
Turned out that, we were disqualified, just because of the packaging of the tender documents, instead of sealed in a separate envelope, we put the documents together. Really that was a horrible moment, where all my body was powerless and felt boneless. Evetough this is not my own fault (tender department should have do that correctly as per standard)... but still, all spirit and momentum has gone.
Yes it's true that we can go around the way and get it re-tendered again... but the spirit just gone, away.

From now, as long as I remember this moment, I will try not to the the worst possible thing might happen, since it could, and it would!

Nomaden

Well, being mobile is one thing that attract me to my current job and I've been doing the same over the last 5 years. I wouldn't considered myself as mobile enough as my expectation, since my airline's frequent flyer is never being upgraded from silver:p.

But, probably I was quite mobile, to- never appeared on family event's pictures, to - always missed in old friends reunion and weddings, lost track of this friends are married or having newborn babies or even change her haircolor:). only keep intouch with the rest of the world with a networking Friendster, 75% more of the daily conversation happened remotely, either emails, chatting, sms-es or phonecall. Unpacked and still full big suitcase at home (hmm.. this one is more because I am too sloth to do the unpacking right away..)

There are some good and bad things from this condition:

- Hey, being mobil is the one that I've kept asking my boss about!

- For those who don't know, Indonesia's big cities airport lounge is one of the best:), and cost nothing, welll we are talking about 1 Rp cost ( and that's mean.. 0.000106 USD), you can nib some snacks, read free mags, nice toilets and beer is available if you're lucky.

- talking about airport, dunno how I thank Periplus bookstore in Jakarta's airport for they don't cover and seal the maganize so I'll be updated with Hollywood newest gossips, such as Paris Hilton cut from the granddad wealth, or best and worst bikini bodies.. (gosh! those cellulites and wrinkles..eeewww, almost unreal to happen:D)

- there are always occasions such as "the last time doing this here", "the last time sleeping in this bed there", "my friends set me off to airport for the last time", including the last crazy party the night before the flight early morning the next day.

- People mistaken me to myself in other location, get it?, for example, I was introduced to one person, and she replied: "oh yeah, there is one other girl with your name in Balikpapan" then I have to replied.. "well, guess that girl is me as well":)

- I have lots of trouble with banking and credit cards information. Whenever I did phone banking, they will always request personnal detail, such as office address and phone numbers... and there where I always have trouble.. usually I asked back.. "give me more hints, such as the code area please"..:p

- Can't participate or even worse, throw an idea for weekend getaways or vacation together with friends/cousins.. since I'll be doomed if suddenly on that agreed date I am dissapearing.

- Loosing so many chance to plan the vacation wisely i.e. getting cheaper deal for the tickets and hotel by booking much in advance. Tell ya.. much in advance just doesn't work here!

- my back hurts, and probaly I must investigate if I should be much taller if I weren't carrying the heavy laptop bag here and there

- Always be the unknown girl who suddenly nest in one of the cubicle..:) and go to the pantry every 30 min to grab the tea and dissapear after a few days.

- Related to address, I happened to have trouble with my creadit card bill since I received the statement after it's due date.. my mails mixed up and I don't have anybody to take care and send it to my current address (hey, I don't have a premanent current address, remember!)

- Not only once or twice I arrived at the office bringing all war amunities (i.e: my gym equipment and all my stuffs in suitcase).

- Meet again old people who I never tought that I would meet again in the future - teach me that i must be good to everyody, no exception, who knows I'll meet them again and in the condition that i need them:) - (well, this one is a good point, don't mistaken it as bad point) - such as yesterday, I met the girl who I recruited 4 years ago.. now she's all mature with a big bump in her stomach that due in weeks:). Or the next manager is my classmates in the first technical course... some tweaked fate I must have:)

- Lots and lots of people to bring souvenirs or snacks.. well i do the same to other people too!

- Must befriend with the office boys, since the photocopy machines in the offices is user password protected - a good way to save some trees I suppose!

Which remind me, good with the IT, since everytime arrived in new offices, have to activate the entry card, otherwise I can't enter the room.

Whoa.. the list can be endless here.. but once again.. I enjoy it and want for more!

Leaving PKU

Still remember when I posted a blog about this new town, this new assigment last feb.
And now, time really flew that I have to say good bye again.

Not that this is the best place that I've been.. but really I keep believing that anywhere you go, any situation that you've been.. if it's over.. make you stop for a while and just try to grasp anything that you can for the last time....

friends who fill spaces in your heart

Of all the expressions and idioms about friends, what they are for, why can they be called friend.. all honey bunny sweety lollipop nice things..Honestly, never really stuck to my mind.
Just today I realized that, hey.. some of them it is true!
When encountering to an old friend and have a quick breakfast together, updating about each other, nothing hidden, no lies, no akward feeling to tell the stories...

It was refreshing!

I have been working in Jakarta these past few weeks and got a chance to actually buzz and see my old friends who usually appear online in the messenger, ut never really chat with.
There is a girl, nice, warm and friendly. After our last meet up, she has a lot of things in her life-- marriage, baby born, raising a kid and now, changing job... to many things if I were in her position.

So, cut teh story short, we plan to meet again, but due to this and that we finally met today for breakfast.
In Sentra Mulia, where I work, there is a small road beside the building and lots of hawkers on the muddy road. We ordered gado-gado and ketoprak and eat in the middle of dust and flies, and chat and chat and chat.
She told me the stories about her resignation and family and I told her my plans.

Just a short time, but it made my feeling warm after that, of no explainable reason, just maybe.. being refreshed because of an old friend.

Thank you.. and good luck.. for sure, this will not be our last time together!

Life sucks

uActually what I really.. really want to write is " Life is wonderful" as what actually I contemplate and think deeper.. but at this moment if I take a snap shot, it is very easy to say the other side, which ..life sucks.

Life sucks, because I feel that I am very moody and feel like to kill somebody and bitching every person tried to be nice to me?
Life sucks because last night I drank (a bit) too much wine and feel uneasy in the next day?
Life suskc because I hate that my sister keep falling sick and thus, useless?
Life sucks because my pimples keep coming and go, never got a good complexion
Life sucks because I always feel that I am an outkast wherever I go and whoever I mingle with
Life sucks because I can't keep my tone friendly enough when I felt furious, even if it is just a joke.
Life sucks because I am the only one who has to call first?
Life sucks because I ate too much this morning?
Life sucks because I feel that i have to move more than what I do now?
Life sucks because there is no certainty about the change that I've been expecting since a very long time ago.

Well.. suddenly I feel that it is not that sucks...