Amsterdam view from Amsterdam Tower

Amsterdam view from Amsterdam Tower
The view from Amsterdam Tower

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Panggung Gembira 17an (Indonesian Independence Day Celebration)

Apa yang paling berkesan dari perayaan 17an?

Lomba2nya dan hadiah2nya?

Kumpul2nya?

Makan kerupuknya?

Panjat pinangnya?

Atau hiburannya?


Hiburan terbuka "Panggung Gembira" yang diadakan oleh KJRI (Konsulat Jenderal Republik Indonesia) di Hong Kong hari Minggu lalu, 18 Agustus 2013 berlangsung seru...


Hari Minggu biasa aja Victoria Park selalu ramai. Taman ini biasa digunakan sebagai basis berkumpul rekan2 BMI (Buruh Migran Indonesia) yang sebagian besar bekerja sebagai 'domestic helper' di Hong Kong.


Nah... ngebayang kalau hari Minggu ditambah ada hiburan "Panggung Gembira" di taman ini, yaaa tambah ramai lagi...


Padahal cuaca hari itu panas dan lembab... Tetep aja penonton yang hampir 99% cewek ini kagak ada matinye... mereka stand-by dari mulai jam 10 pagi...




Pengisi acaranya sebagian datang dari Jakarta lho.... sebagian dari mereka adalah Wulan "KDI", Benigno dan Purwa Caraka...


Sumbangan tari2 tradisional juga ada...


Acara seriusnya juga ada... apa ayo, tebak? Mmm... pendaftaran Pemilu dan Sosialisasi Pemilu 2014!


Beneran nih, kayaknya Hong Kong haus hiburan... Ada band Indonesia yang lagi top banget, yang pernah show di Hong Kong tahun lalu tapi ngak hadir di Panggung Gembira ini, tetep aja fansnya "eksis"...

Salam Merdeka Indonesiaku!

Friday, August 16, 2013

Linkin Park in Hong Kong

“Living Things World Tour 2013” was held just last night…

  

Two days before their concert, severe typhoon Utor (signal T8 level or Typhoon 8) hit Hong Kong. T8 was downgraded to T3 a day later and finally downgraded again to T1. The show went on Thursday 15 August 2013.
 
 
As expected, AsiaWorld-Expo Arena was absolutely full!  Standing area in front of the stage was crowded. It could be 14,000 people were there which is equal with the maximum capacity of the Arena.
 
The door was opened at 7.45pm
 
Around 8.35pm the loud music started! Crowd at the end part of standing area pushed those at the front making the area to be more packed … The whole Arena was shaking…
 
Crowd at the front Arena, it was before light switched off
 
One of my favorite songs:

I want to heal, I want to feel,
What I thought was never real, I want to let go of the pain I felt so long
I want to heal, I want to feel, Like I'm close to something real
I want to find something I've wanted all along, Somewhere I belong....

Also the next one:

So give me reason
To prove me wrong
To wash this memory clean
Let the floods cross the distance in your eyes...


While everyone was jumping all around me, especially the tall guy on my left seat – which seat he hardly used -J - I looked around my surrounding with Linkin Park music as background... Do I feel being “Victimized”?

The crowd is not only teenager and adult, some young teenagers were also there with their parents. Everyone enjoyed the show. Except when the guy in front of you is taller so you could hardly see the stage…
 
 
When the 15th song started, a young girl came and looked for her seat -J Kemana aja dari tadi?

Anyway I think she was still lucky ‘cause the next song was one of the best performances. Everyone rocked the Arena since the first song, but when this first sentence started: …. I'm tired of being what you want me to be..…

I've become so numb, I can't feel you there.
Become so tired, so much more aware.
I'm becoming this, all I want to do
Is be more like me and be less like you!


As for fun, I counted how many songs they sang. When it came to the 18th song (more or less as I stopped counting), they stopped and went inside the stage…

Linkin Park,.. Linkin Park,... Linkin Park…. No one left the Arena…
 
 
Unfortunately, I could not wait until “In the End”

as the best way to leave the Arena is to leave slightly earlier than the rest of the 14,000 spectators. Some people had the same thinking. There was quite a number of people in the Airport Express heading back to Hong Kong station.

I tried so hard and got so far...
But in the end it doesn't even matter....
 

References

AsiaWord-Expo, Arena
http://www.asiaworld-expo.com/html/en/FacilityInfo/ArenaEvents.html

Transportation to AsiaWorld-Expo
http://www.asiaworld-expo.com.hk/html/en/UsefulInfo/Transportation.html
 
Events in Hong Kong
Hong Kong Ticketing: http://www.hkticketing.com/eng/
Urbtix/Cityline: http://urbtix.cityline.com.hk/internet/action/index.do

Friday, August 9, 2013

Eid ul-Fitr (Idul Fitri) Celebration in Hong Kong

Eid ul-Fitr or Idul Fitri or Lebaran is one of the major national holiday in Indonesia and other Moslem countries. If it is in Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia, it is identical with 1) a week holiday, 2) domestic helper is away, 3) busy activities in the malls/supermarkets, and 4) the fact that Jakarta becomes very quiet as most of its residents are away…
 

This year in Hong Kong

How is it the fasting month of Ramadhan and Idul Fitri celebration in Hong Kong? Nothing. Unlike in Jakarta, where most shopping malls and hotels are decorated beautifully for this festive season. Days gone by as they never exist. 

Even though Ramadhan and Idul Fitri are quiet in Hong Kong, the big Indonesian community here did welcome this festive month with joy. Some friends got together organizing their own “Bukber” (Buka Bareng) or break the fast gathering. The most convenient place is to have it at the Indonesian Restaurant, as they are familiar with this event and food matches! Also, every Friday during Ramadhan, crowds gathered at the Indonesian Consulate to meet with each other and to break their fast. 

It was not only because of food they gathered, some friends collected donation and organized food for the domestic helper shelters. As we might be aware, there are 150,000 Indonesian Migrant Workers in Hong Kong. What was also sweet on this activity, donation was also provided by some non-Moslem friends…
 

Last year?

I have just moved to Hong Kong and was busy with all of the moving things; finding a new apartment including its furniture while I was having flu and skin irritation due to allergic, and when things were about to be settled I broke my left toe!

 
Two years ago?

I moved from Jakarta to Ho Chi Minh City: Eid ul-Fitr celebration in Vietnam

 
So going back again to this year’s story...
 
Idul Fitri prayer was held by the Indonesian Consulate General of Republic Indonesia on Friday 9 August 2013 at the Victoria Park, Causeway Bay. I guessed there were 800-1,000 people attended. I was told that last year it was attended by 1,500 people. As last year Idul Fitri was on Sunday which is the day off for the migrant worker.

Eid Prayer @ Victoria Park, 9 August 2013
 
The prayer started at 8.30 am by two speeches and followed by the prayer. By 9.03 am, prayer was done. The Imam’s speech followed afterward and finished before 10 am… It was 32 ° Celsius and “very hot” warning in force by HKO… 

Idul Fitri, the end of Ramadhan, means becoming holy again...
 
 
Wishing you the best of Eid ul-Fitr – Selamat Hari Raya Idul Fitri – Mohon Maaf Lahir dan Batin.

Lebaran di Kampung Orang Lain (Again?)

English version is available on next posting "Eid ul-Fitr Celebration in Hong Kong"

 
Dua tahun lalu saya merayakan Lebaran di kampung orang, tepatnya di Ho Chi Minh City -Vietnam.  

Tahun lalu di Hong Kong, karena baru pindahan dari Ho Chi Minh City: heboh cari tempat tinggal baru dan perabotannya, stres sama pindahan dan kota baru jadi sempat flu dan alergi gatel2 karena obat, begitu keadaan sepertinya lumayan alias udah dapet tempat tinggal dan beres2, jempol kaki gue retak ketiban meja setrikaan! Jadi kesannya Lebaran lewat begitu aja… 

Tahun ini jadinya excited menyambut Ramadhan, apalagi udah banyak punya temen disini jadi bisa buka puasa bareng. Tapi selain ngomongin Bukber, temen2 berinisiasi mengumpulkan sumbangan, koordinasi dengan shelter Buruh Migran dan memberikan snack box buka puasa. Yang bikin terharu, inisiatif ini juga didukung oleh rekan2 non-muslim. Sebagai informasi, terdapat kurang lebih 150,000 Buruh Migran Indonesia (BMI) bekerja sebagai domestic helper di Hong Kong. Mereka kerja mencari nafkah jauh dari keluarga di tanah air.  

Satu lagi yang bikin excited.. Ternyata Konsulat Jenderal Republik Indonesia (KJRI) di Hong Kong punya acara buka puasa. Jadi pada suatu buka puasa di hari Jumat, dimana dihadiri oleh pejabat2 KJRI, kita satu gank hadir disana. Seru karena ketemu teman2 lainnya....  

Buka puasa dimulai dengan teh manis dan martabak manis, lalu disambung dengan soto ayam, makanan utamanya ada ikan asam manis, ayam dimasak apa gitu, hehehe.... Ternyata menu buka puasa hari itu adalah sponsor dari perusahaan BUMN yang ada di Hong Kong, makasih ya.....
 
Shalat Idul Fitri - Victoria Park, Jumat 9 Agustus 2013
 
Puncak rangkaian kegiatan Ramadhan pastinya Shalat Ied diadakan hari Jumat, 9 Agustus 2013 di Victoria Park. Taman ini adalah lapangan terbuka untuk umum, di daerah Causeway Bay, di beberapa bagian di tempat ini sering dibikin pameran juga. Yang bikin terkenal sih, karena lapangan ini penuh sesak setiap hari Minggu. Kenapa? Karena itu hari liburnya BMI dan mereka pasti ngumpul disana. 

Sebelum Shalat Ied dimulai, jalan menuju Victoria Park sudah ramai. Seramai hari Minggu! Suhu udara 32 ° Celsius atau yang menurut BMG-nya Hong Kong “very hot” ini beneran panas… Kelihatan banyak yang mengeluarkan perlengkapan payung, kacamata item, kipas… -J

Kalau diperhatikan lebih dari 500 orang yang hadir atau bias jadi sampai 1,000 orang! Tahun lalu jumlah peserta Shalat sekitar 1,500 orang (karena tahun lalu Lebaran jatuh pada hari Minggu, hari libur BMI).

Acara yang diadakan oleh KJRI ini dimulai sekitar 8.30 pagi. Dimulai dengan dua sambutan, dilanjutkan dengan Shalat Ied s/d jam 9.03 pagi, langsung disambut dengan khotbah. Sebelum jam 10 pagi acara selesai... Pesan sponsor panitia acara: “Tolong dibersihkan sampah2nya, semua diangkat dan tempat bersih seperti semula, supaya tahun depan kita bisa sewa tempat ini lagi…” Siap!!!
 
Khotbah Idul Fitri
 
Setelah itu, seperti dimana2, yang ditunggu2 adalah acara Open House… Makanya gue juga jalan kaki dari Victoria Park ke KJRI untuk silaturahmi dengan teman2 yang ‘stay’ di HK ngak mudik Lebaran.  

Ehem… hidden agenda gue tercapai – cari ketupat! Ngak ada ketupat di HK, karena ngak ada daun kelapanya, jadi disini adanya lontong karena ada daun pisang. Beda tipis… Teman2nya lontong? Opor ayam, rendang daging, sambal goreng kentang ati, telor balado, kerupuk… Makanan pembukanya: lupis, batagor, es belewah campur nata de coco, pudding…
 
Bagi rekan2 BMI, KJRI juga membagikan snack box. Syaratnya cuma sabar antri, karena panjang banget antriannya sampe belok ke jalan lain, wakakak… Tapi mereka yang sudah tinggal di HK pasti tahu tatakrama antri dan pastinya tertib.
 
 
Ramai orang di Victoria Park, lihat belakang sana... orang semua

Anyway, seperti artinya Idul Fitri yaitu kembali ke fitrah, gue ucapin Selamat Hari Raya Idul Fitri, Mohon Maaf Lahir dan Batin!



ps: Kalo iseng mau baca cerita dua tahun lalu, monggo klik.. Hari raya di kampung orang lain (Eid al-Fitr in Vietnam)