Amsterdam view from Amsterdam Tower

Amsterdam view from Amsterdam Tower
The view from Amsterdam Tower

Sunday, March 31, 2013

Let’s SLANK the world!

Posting ini lebih seru ditulis dalam Bahasa Indonesia, jadi maaf bagi yg kurang lancar Bahasanya...

"I miss you but hate you, my girl..."

Dengan lagu itulah Kaka membuka konser Slank di Hong Kong, Minggu 31 Maret 2013 di Southorn Stadium, Wan Chai.
 
Slank, Welcome to Hong Kong!
 
Para Slanker yang 99% Slanky alias cewek2 langsung heboh serasa mau maju semua ke depan panggung. Kursi2 di VIP yg tadinya tersusun rapih jadi ngak beraturan, tempat duduk gue dan teman2 di barisan ketiga dari depan jadi "the last baricade" karena barisan belakang udah pada maju semua dan berdiri.


Slank datang dengan full team; Kaka, Bimbim, Abdee, Ivanka dan Ridho, termasuk Bunda Ivet yang juga Bunda-nya Bimbim sekaligus Manager Band. 
 

Karena udah beberapa saat tinggal agak jauh dari tanah air, terharu juga tadi waktu acara pembukaan seluruh penonton diminta berdiri untuk nyanyi bareng lagu “Indonesia Pusaka” dan “Kebyar-Kebyar”.... 
 
 
Lagu ke 2, 3, 4, Kaka makin panas, buka jas dan nyanyi bareng Slanky Hong Kong. “Pandangan pertama awal aku berjumpa….” Dangdut is my country! Isi Southorn Indoor Stadium ikut goyang...
 
I miss you but I hate you, my girl...
 
Konser berlangsung, ini pasukan Slanky di kiri gue yang joget berdiri makin heboh goyangnya, kalo rambut berkibas gue kena kepret. LoL. Dia juga diprotes sama yang dibelakangnya karena dia ngak kelihatan!


Dari semua album Slank, lagu2 yg paling bergema di kepala gue ya album Virus.  Asli Slank menebar Virus perdamaian melalui konsernya di Hong Kong “Aku ngak mau menjadi setan yang menakutimu….”

Bunda Ivet memotong tumpeng peresmian Komunitas Slanker Hong Kong

Bunda Ivet yang dari awal acara tenang-tenang, ikut naik ke panggung dan motong tumpeng peresmian "Komunitas Slanker Hong Kong". Congrats!


Konser lanjut terus, Kaka pastinya nyanyi “Terlalu manis untuk dilupakan….”


“Ku tak bisaaaa…. Jauhhh… Jauhhh… Darimuuu….” – lagu wajib ini juga ada dong...
 
 
Southorn Stadium was going crazy! Slanky2 Hong Kong kagak ada matinya... Sementara gue masih duduk manis sambil nyanyi, teriak dan goyang2. Ngak berani berdiri otherwise I'd loose my chair, karena yang dibelakang udah berasa dorong2...


 
Thanks to Telin (Telkom Indonesia) for bringing Slank to Hong Kong! This is part of “Kartu As 2 in 1” promotion.

 
Acara juga dimeriahkan dengan Telin bagi-bagi hadiah, voucher pulsa 100HK$ buat 20 pemenang, 1.000HK$ buat 2 pemenang, dan 1.500HK$ buat 1 pemenang. Puncaknya masih ada satu pemenang dapat Blackberry dan voucher. Sukses terus buat Telin. 

Telin - Kartu As 2 in 1 bagi2 voucher

Biasa kalau ada Band Indonesia datang ke Hong Kong, pasti manggung hari Minggu karena hari liburnya Buruh Migran Indonesia (BMI) atau yg biasa kita kenal dengan pahlawan devisa. Rekan-rekan BMI yang bergabung di Jackson Dancer membawakan tarian di awal acara, ada juga Reog Ponorogo ikutan manggung menyambut Slank. Dua band lokal yang semuanya terdiri dari orang2 Indonesia; Example Band dan Zaragoza Band juga ikut sumbang lagu. 

2 band pembuka, SlankAtHongkong

Skenario Awal Sebelum Nonton

"Ku tak bisa... Jauh... Jauh... Darimu..."

Kalo sempet  ketemu Kaka sebelum konser, gue mau bilang: "Ka, kalo nyanyi lagu2 itu sambil lirik gue ya..."

Ting tong, ting tong... Bunyi pesan masuk di Whatsapp hari Sabtu sore. Siapa ya kirim pesan bertubi-tubi? Panjang bener lagi... 
 
Pembukaan Konser, Slank di Hong Kong

Intinya; Slank manggung di Hong Kong hari Minggu! Mau nonton ngak? Hah?!

Cuma sekali gue nonton "Live Concert" mereka di GWK Bali. Tepatnya di acara World Peace Music Award tahun 2003. Gile jadul ya... Di acara itu, Slank sepanggung ama Inul Daratista dan INXS!  

Terima pengumuman yg tiba2, susah juga ngumpulin massa Slanker di antara teman2; ada yg weekend harus kerja, mana liburan Paskah jadi banyak yg ada acara gereja atau cabut keluar Hong Kong. 

Apa karena dapet tawaran nonton gue mendadak jadi Slanky? Ngak juga... Temen SMP-SMA gue @dsvit tahu cerita gue dengan band yg satu ini. Cerita konyol... Makanya “terlalu manis untuk dilupakan...” 

Slank in Hong Kong

Tahun 2003 gue ke Bali dua kali. Yang pertama agak di awal tahun, dan ketemu mereka karena kebetulan sama-sama tinggal di Hotel Santika, Kuta, Bali. Bergaya turis dong, ala baju renang di pool dan di tattoo...  

Selagi bapak yg nattoo bekerja mbuat "dolphin" tattoo di kaki kanan (deket pergelangan kaki), tiba2 satu personil band nongol di pool. Abdee keluar siap2 mau renang, dia mendekat liat kaki gue yg lagi di tattoo imut gambar lumba2, sementara dia dengan tattoo serius di badannya!  

Selang beberapa menit, satu lagi personil keluar bareng sama crew-nya, kalo ngak salah Bimbim. Namanya ke pool, semua pake baju renang, jadi keliatan tattoo mereka yg besar dan nyata. Lumba2 gue ngak ada apa2nya, glek...
 
Acara Pembukaan, Konser Slank di Hong Kong
 
Bapak tattoo lanjut buat tattoo gue melingkar di tangan atas... Satu lagi personil dan satu crew berambut merah dateng. Alamak, gue dikerubutin cowok2 rambutnya panjang dengan tattoo!

Sementara gue satu2nya cewek dengan baju renang dan tattoo imut2. Wakakak... By the way, mereka ngeliatin tattoo gue, cara bikinnya, atau ngeliatin kaki gue yg cuma pake baju renang ya?? Hehehe… 
 
Kaka & sweet roses
 
The band members are very down to earth. They are famous and every Indonesian knows who they are, but they act just like normal. Beberapa hari bareng di hotel yg sama, kalo ketemu di lobby, I said hello and they responded… 

"Terlalu manis, untuk dilupakan..."
 

.............. Thanks to temen2 di HK udah susah2 koordinir Slanky2 ini untuk nonton bareng

Thanks so much Telin and Kartu As 2 in 1!

Thanks to Kaka, Bimbim, Abdee, Ivanka dan Ridho for the great show! You rock!
 
Follow Slank on Twitter @slankdotcom or check their official website http://www.slank.com/

Saturday, March 30, 2013

Candi Dasa, Bali - Go & Explore!

Where else should we stay in Bali… I felt like exploring a new area that I had never been to, quiet and far from tourist buzz. It was the law of attraction. Mr. Right wished for the same thing. Another law of attraction, by talking to a friend, we would be in Bali for the same few days. 

View in front of http://www.villakaniksa.com/ Candi Dasa, Bali

Thanks to Nijsen family, we were introduced to Candi Dasa. It is near to where we stayed in the previous day, Padangbai (Tranquil bay, Padangbai)

http://www.villakaniksa.com - Candi Dasa, Bali

"Just drive along the main road, you will see a pool on the right side, drive a little bit more until the main road turning left and.. bla bla bla...."

Candi Dasa main road

Restaurant along Candi Dasa main road

What's in Candi Dasa main road

Restaurant next to lotus pond, Candi Dasa

That's the instruction given to reach the gorgeous villa facing Candi Dasa beach"... Anyway, we passed "the pool" which apparently to be a lotus pond. 

Lotus pond, Candi Dasa

Candi Dasa is situated in Karangasem district Bali, the area that I had never been to.  It is around 90 minute drive from the airport.  


Government elementary school, Candi Dasa Main Road
This seaside town is growing, some hotels, restaurants and shops were established along the main road of Candi Dasa.
 
Jump for the lovely sunset!

Sunset

Let the pics tell everything… Gorgeous moments during sunset in Candi Dasa…

Gorgeous sunset, Candi Dasa

Sunset, Candi Dasa

The weirdest thing happened? It is one in a ten million ---- It was almost sunset, I was standing behind the fence of the pier looking at a guy who was fishing. He pulled his string with a big squid! Lucky him, squid for dinner!

Red circle: a squid squirted on me!
I was wrong! The squid defended himself by squirting his ink. Quickly, the black ink squirted toward me who was standing quite far away!! 

Just before sunset, Amankila, Candi Dasa

Lovely rainbow on before the sunset was the perfect Valentine’s present ever!

Valentine's rainbow was seen from Amankila, Candi Dasa
 
 
Pasir Putih (White Sand) Beach 

One morning we rented a boat and eight of us (four adults, one teenager and two kids) boarded to Pasir Putih. Leaving Candi Dasa, we were welcomed by big waves, splash, splash, wooo... Hari ini ombaknya bagus, kemarin lebih besar lagi, the guy said.  He, captain of this wooden boat took us passing the big island for sightseeing…  This boat can also be rented to go Blue Lagoon in Padangbai for snorkeling/diving (15 minute drive by car). 

Pasir Putih from far...
 
Pasir Putih beach can also be reached by car, five kilometers north east of Candi Dasa. But I was told the road is not smooth. It took us around twenty minutes until we saw the five hundred meter long, isolated, beautiful white sand beach - pasir putih... is known as one of East Bali's well-kept secrets.  

Pasir Putih, Candi Dasa, Bali
 
There is plenty of small wooden boat along the shore, and a few small restaurants on (warung) the beach. They offer local cuisine and seafood, as well as sunbeds and umbrellas for rent provided we buy food there. Shower and changing room are also available.  

Pasir Putih, Candi Dasa, Bali
 
As soon as we arrived, a group of men assisted the boat guy to position the boat well, helped us to walk to warungs and even carried our belongings...
 
We settled in a warung belongs to Wayan, Balinese guy who is running this business with his wife.

Fresh coconut & umbrella @ Pasir Putih
 
A fresh of young coconut was a good way to start sunbathing… Sun, white beach, waves, umbrella by the beach,… Balinese women offer massage/manicure/pedicure or "kepang" hairstyle (hair braids) walked around the beach…

So relax… Pasir putih, please remain virgin...


Tirta Gangga Water Palace

Other than water sports activities, Candi Dasa has other interesting attraction such as Tirta Gangga Water Palace. In fact, this site is ranked number one in Candi Dasa main attractions according to TripAdvisor.


Tirta Gangga, Water Palace, Karangasem, Bali
 
Literally Tirta Gangga means water from the Ganges. It is a site of some reverence for the Hindu Balinese. Strictly, the name refers to the water palace built here in 1948 by the King of Karangasem Bali.

The palace area is not very huge but it nice to walk around, run on stepping stones and see the fishes, take pics and even to swim in the open swimming pool...

Tirta Gangga, Water Palace, Karangasem, Bali
 
An old lady selling local fruit called Salak, or it is known as snakeskin fruit. She did not have change when my friend ‘Ida’ gave her Rp50,000 note. So, she told us to pay the entrance tickets first, eat her Salaks and pay later when we get out the palace. Only in Bali… Terima kasih Ibu, Salaknya manis...

 
Food!

Thanks to TripAdvisor, we found Vincent's (Vincentsbali.com) where we dined in our first evening in Candi Dasa.  Without having any reservation, we could sit outdoor at the backyard tropical garden.
Fresh squid, prawn & lobster
 
 
Jukut Urap Bali as appetizer (Balinese salad?) and big prawn with bean (prawn with les haricots verts) in Balinese herbs as main course were perfect. Sedap! Enak! Yummy! Miam!

Being in Bali means eating local food! Returning home, after being away from Indonesia, means gaining a few kilos! But that’s partly the beauty of returning home…

Psst… honestly I only started to like Balinese food in the last few years, when my friends introduced me to Nasi Campur Bali (Balinese Mixed Rice) and Sambal Matah (Balinese raw sambal/chili). Since then, Nasi Campur Bali has become my favorite. 

Balinese cuisine; bebek betutu, urap vegetable, sate lilit, etc
 
Most of our stay, we dined at the villa. Candi Dasa; seaside = fresh seafood! 

Pertamina oil port - tankers, view from the high hill of Candi Dasa

Go and explore! That’s what we did in our last vacation in Bali. By exploring new areas, we got to see new things and have new experience...


Ngurah Rai Airport, Denpasar Bali - Expansion is ongoing

Domestic airport, Ngurah Rai Airport, Denpasar, Bali - under renovation

Domestic airport, Ngurah Rai Airport, Denpasar, Bali - under renovation

Next posting? It is still related to Indonesia as travel destination...

Sunday, March 24, 2013

Say it with flowers... HK Flower Show

I was not so interested to come to this exhibition until some friends said that Indonesia won the Golden Award of Outstanding Exhibit in the past few years. 

Booth of Indonesian Consulate General in Hong Kong @ HK Flower Show 2013

As to support my beautiful country, I arrived at Victoria Park at noon at the day when it was very sunny...  I went straight to the information center and asked for the Indonesian booth. Well, the booth made me proud being an Indonesian in Hong Kong.  

See the pic of Saman dancers @ Indonesian booth

This year, Indonesia presented a booth themed on the Indonesian province of Aceh. The booth attracted attention of many visitors. People were standing in front of the booth taking pics of the booth and flowers, the Indonesian dancers too. The booth was never alone!

Indonesian dancers @ Indonesian booth

Gile, susah bener motret booth ini tanpa orang2,…  Banyak yang mau foto bunganya, booth-nya, atau foto bareng sama penari2nya…

Other booths from different countries (and other entities in Hong Kong) present gorgeous flower arrangement as well...

Tulips

Thailand booth

Macau booth

Japanese garden style

Without having planned it, I went there again on Sunday the last day of the exhibition. The crowd seemed double! Victoria Park is always crowded anyway on Sunday as it is the day off for the migrant workers.

What does it look like?

Cute flower arrangement

Cute "mushroom" flowers

Bonzai

Still the Indonesian booth organized by Indonesian Consulate General was crowded.... Bahasa Indonesia with many different accents could be heard in almost everywhere.  The beautiful dancers dressed up in different outfits. They are as pretty as always…
Some more Indonesian dancers
This flower is not about moving Mong Kok flower market to Victoria Park, but it is better than I expected.

My 2nd favorite booth, after the Indonesian booth @ HK Flower Show 2013

Congrats Indonesian team! Good job!

Like this!

About the Event: HK Flower Show is an annual event organized by Hong Kong Leisure and Cultural Services Department to promote horticulture and the awareness of greening. The event was held on 15 to 24 March 2013 at Victoria Park - Causeway Bay. See link: http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/green/hkfs/2013/en/index.php