Halfway Merman

This is gonna be the part where you're getting sick of my traveling posts, because it's talking about just the same thing, trip by trip. But I don't care, because that's my goal. To make all places in this world, as my home.

But for Philippines, I guess there'll be a slight difference.

Because the home I was visiting, were both land, and sea.

And by so, I began to realize I got something else in myself.

Enemy: Taxi

I didn't ride it in Kuala Lumpur and Penang, only once in Bangkok when I was in a terrible rush of catching my flight, not at all in Vietnam, Cambodia and Cebu, and only twice for getting out from and reaching the airport in Manila. After all, those are my homes too. Why would I ride a cab, when local transport can easily get me to my desired destinations?

Best friend: Map

Stupidly, I didn't plan a lot for this trip. But gratefully, with a pinch of local friends' recommendations, and the almighty power from the map, I got to visited all stuff I wanted to see. After all, those are my homes too. Why would I be doubt of getting lost, when everybody can easily be approached and showing me the way?

Lifetime goal: Local of the sea

One breathtaking session with the sharks. Two clear falls in two consecutive days. Three hours of snorkeling in the best surface I could ever ask. Four large groups of sardines swimming within the deep blue ocean and I didn't freak out at all. Well, I freaked out mediocre, but I'm okay -I guess. After all, those are my homes too. Why would I be afraid of exploring the depth, when deep inside I can feel the true beauty of the place I call home?

After Philippines, I realized I now have this huge interest of underwater wonder. I began planning to buy underwater apparels and gadgets, although I knew I wouldn't gonna use it pretty often. But at least I'm preparing myself to be ready.

If somehow, someday,

I did the same mistake again,

Arranging such trip full of levities,

Where locals thought I was one of them,

And where land meets water

Return from Home

I don't know what else to say. You knew the destinations. You knew the length of stay, it was two weeks. You knew the challenges I faced. Well now what you didn't know is, the bottom line of everything. Everything that I had in

So based upon the experience, I discovered some other new ways I could really use while traveling. That suits me really, really well.

That I can do things spontaneously, as if I'm home

I made plans. Of how many days I should had spent, of where I should had slept, and stuff. But most of them, well, changed. My head and my heart conspired to cheat me, convinced me to stay longer in each city. I acted like I was at home, thinking less and doing whatever I desired. No worries, no wonders nor questions, just kept living like mom and dad were next door.

That the other side of the globe is actually my home too

Those cities. Nha Trang, Mui Ne, Ho Chi Minh City and Siem Reap. Swear to God I never visited them before. But yea when I was there it felt like, some place I was familiar with. Exploring here, walking there, taking shortcuts and eating by street stalls, was I born there?

That I'm now a part of the world, the home of every traveler

Maybe it sounds too much but, I don't know, people didn't seem to see me as a boring Indonesian they usually -maybe- think us about. They talked to me. They opened discussions with me. Asked me stuff, wondered about my background, got excited about visiting Indonesia, they considered me as one global traveler they usually met along the trip. It was, hmm, kinda important to me, you know, being accepted internationally, as an Indonesian traveler.

It boosted a significant level of my travel desire. I wanted more. Well that's what I always felt after one trip. More and more trips. But seriously, what I got from this trip, was more impact-ful to my confidence in traveling.

That now, nothing can stop me from traveling

Because everywhere is simply home

Taking Worldwide Citizenship

Hi. So, I'm guessing that you're getting tired of me keep talking about USA eh? Well... I'm sorry, but I don't care. This is just how I get over it. The impact was just too big. It kept appearing in my dream for like fourteen days in a row and stopped three days ago. Not just mentally, it also bugged me physically. My jetlag completely finished just two days ago. So now you know how much this trip really matters to me eh?

But I promise, this'll be the last one because it's the overview and for you who've been keeping up with my writings -is there any? :(- you knew that I've always made an overview by the end of my interesting trip.

So here it is, the summary of my journey to...

U S A

Now let's see what I can summarize about this trip.

There are too many, I tell you, so you better brace yourself.

I'm totally, like genuinely into traveling

No doubt. Traveling turns me on. Booking flights are the foreplays. Boarding the aircraft gives me tiny orgasm. Visiting places I could only read from books or see from TV, hanging out with locals, eat their dishes OH GOD those are all like having sex to me and going back home is like the post ejaculation sensation. Hm this topic is getting inappropriate but HEY, that's the truth.

Now let's tell some other truths. I've been thinking about switching my direction of professional world. From that harsh advertising world, to magazine kinda stuff I'm actually more attracted to, since I was a kid. But of course, a traveling magazine. It's still all about writing but now, there's this added value I can benefit, and that is just my other passion. Won't I be on fire all the time about that??

Oh. There's one more thing I learn from this trip. That everything's possible. All my life, USA was just a fantasy. Never once on my mind, I would actually go there. NY has always been something sacred to me and DC, never thought I'd go there. But now that I ever visited US, I have this huge huge confident about the upcoming, undecided, unexpected trips ahead in the future. Why can't I do visit any other places??

So who knows next year I'll spend a month observing animals in Serengeti?

Or travel from Kiev to Reykjavik and the other way around from Lisbon to Helsinki?

Or in two years I'll spend the whole year studying in Cali, spending summer vacation in Hawaii?

Everything seems to be un-impossible after that trip.

Including my dream to be somewhere else's local?

Yeah, at least I can be a global local

A Beginner Backpacker Story

Halo, semoga pada gak bosen deh ya ngebaca postingan gue soal perjalanan kali ini haha. Gak peduli deh mau dibilang apa. Tapi yang pasti, gue suka banget trip kemaren like, banget banget!! Dan postingan ini lebih kayak summary nya gitu karena ini bener bener kali pertama gue jalan jalan ke 

Bukan cuma itu aja, di trip ini juga kali pertama buat gue dalam berbagai macam hal di dunia per-traveling-an.

First time traveling alone

Should I tell you more about this? Haha please percaya sama gue. Gue jalan sendirian. Gue kemana-mana sendirian. Gue ngatur skejul, ngurus uang, makan, mandi, berak sendirian. Dan gue gak ngerasa itu menyedihkan. Gue justru ngerasa ketje. Karena setiap ada yang nanya gue pergi sama siapa, dan gue jawab gue sendirian... I've always liked the reaction appears on their face :)

First time staying at and hanging with locals

Meski demikian, gue nginep di tempat temen-temen gue yang emang asli sana -kecuali di Penang, gue nginep di dorm. Walopun resikonya, gue harus nyesuain skejul gue sama mereka, tapi ngobrol ngobrolnya sama berbagi ceritanya itu gak ada duanya.

First time suburban visit

Di Kuala Lumpur, temen gue si Joseph ngajakin gue ke daerah Ara Damansara. Semacem suburban gitu, dimana yang tinggal disana adalah keluarga berpenghasilan rendah. Jadi si Joseph ini anggota gereja gitu dan tiap dua minggu sekali harus ngasih bantuan makanan ke salah satu keluarga disitu. Kebetulan hari itu gue lagi bingung mau kemana, jadi ya gue diajak kesana. Two sides of KL in one trip, eh?

First time uncommon overnight experiences

Jadi dari KL ke Bangkok, flight gue itu pagi. Nah kan dari pusat kota ke LCCT itu jauh kan ya, daripada gue grabak grubuk pas pagi, jadi gue pikir mendingan nginep aja di airport! Haha seru parah, apalagi ternyata banyak orang yang ngelakuin itu juga.

Nah trus pulang dari Bangkok, sampe KL jam 9 malem. Gue pun buru buru ke Puduraya Bus Terminal karena jam 12 nya harus naik bis ke Penang. Seru gak sih?? Gue sengaja pilih tengah malem biar sampe Penang pagi dan gue punya banyak waktu buat jalan jalan. And gotta tell ya, bis nya pewe parah!

First time university observation

Di Bangkok, gue kan nginep di dorm temen gue yang sekolah di AIT (sekolah khusus master degree). Nah jadilah gue punya kesempatan ngeliat liat kampus di Thailand haha. Apalagi AIT itu deket banget sama Thammasat University (sekolah khusus bachelor degree) jadi hampir tiap hari gue ketemu anak anak seumuran gue yang sedang menuntut ilmu.

First time massage

Seumur hidup gue gak pernah yang namanya pijet. Jadi mumpung lagi di negara asalnya, Thailand, dan kebetulan gue lagi capek parah waktu itu abis jalan jalan ampe betis segede semangka -dan besoknya balik ke KL jadi yaaa foya foya bath gitudeh haha- jadilah gue pijet Thai dulu sebelum mamam malem.

First time CNY experience

This was the best. Read more in here.

First time being a truly annoying 'bule'

Selama di Bangkok sih emang gue gabisa berkomunikasi kalo gak dalam bahasa Inggris. Nah tapi di Malaysia, sebenernya kan gue bisa bisa aja dan ngerti ngerti aja bahasa Melayu. Tapi berubung ini trip abroad kan ya, gue maunya bahasa Inggris dong haha. Jadi kalo gue lagi nanya orang di Malaysia dan ternyata dia gak ngerti bahasa Inggris, gue mulai sok sok nanya pake kata kata Melayu dengan logat bule gitchu haha trus mereka yang kayak bahagia gitu karena gue bisa sedikit berbahasa lokal hahahahaha oh Lord I miss those moments so bad...

I'm addicted. I never thought, traveling alone could be that exciting. I didn't have to discuss of where to go, I didn't have to face confusing ideas from different confusing heads. It's all about me and myself, and my own choice!

And damn I'm proud of myself. Gue selalu iri sama temen temen gue yang bisa keluar negeri karena ada proyek nari misalnya, atau marching band, atau delegates dan semacamnya. Tapi mereka pergi juga karena sebagian uang mereka kan, bukan sepenuhnya ditanggung si pembuat project.

And yet, they went there in groups.

Not all alone like I did, not a single fighter like I was.

I must reward myself for these brave things I've done.

A trip to Vietnam, maybe?

New Life: The Beginning

So gone are the final exam!! Gosh I'm so psyched in welcoming the long long holiday. I got this plan for an intern in my dad's office next week, which actually I'm not officially recruited yet. So yes, if I'm accepted, this gon' be a simulation of my future.

Now as the opening of this glorious moment, also as the celebration of the end of that hectic term back then, I started all these with an unforgettable trip. A friend of mine called me by Tuesday last week, telling me that on Saturday there will be a tremendously cheap flight to

S I N G A P O R E

Will I ever reject that? Of course not! The next thing I know, by Wednesday I said yes already and so two friends and I, Dicky and Nana and I, flew to the island of lion for three days and two nights.

And since this was such a spontaneous trip, I committed some new things I've never done before.

New Experience: Dealing With Airports

This is a total brand new thing to do. I've been to Singapore times but all of the things are settled by my dad. Now that I went there by myself... I did the check in, the immigration, the boarding all by myself.

New Places: Spots Untouched by My Fam

Chinatown, never knew it was that oriental. Marina Bay Sands, never knew it was that exclusive. Holland Village, never knew it was that cozy. Arab Street, never knew it was so Pasar Baru. Beach Rd, Suntec City and Bugis Rd, never knew it was... there. Singapore's not just about shopping -tho got to admit, I went there because of the great sale too.

New Dishes: Usual Malay Meals That're Unusual to Me

Seafood laksa, nasi briyani, beef noodle and nasi lemak. I picked the best, I guess. And the beef noodle, I know it's just ordinary. But I don't know, I felt like that's the best beef noodle I've ever tasted. The cook was Chinese so I supposed that umm, maybe I also tasted a liiiiittle bit of pork. Haha just a guess.

New Way to Love Starbucks: Soy Strawberry Frappuccino

http://www.flickr.com/photos/schtumple/5038670366/ 

I am not a big fan of coffee, I said. So when I came to Starbucks, it's always either chocolate or green tea. But this drink, man, I'm into it. The frappuccino can barely be tasted. And enjoyed it while chit-chatting with my half Singaporean friend, made this beverage officially Singaporish. Can't wait for them showing up in Indonesia.

New Me: It Boy

You noticed my G+ headline? Yea besides my regular me, I also have a wild me whom I met him last year in Bali. Now on this trip, I explored a brand new side of me. He's more like an attention seeker. Thirsty of being looked at. And judgmental. Ahh I miss him already.

New... Lies

Lies will no longer be called lies if they're told. So I left 'em back in Singapore ;)

In summary, I love cheap flights... It got me doing things I never thought I would ever done. Ugh I can't wait for my solo trip to KL and Bangkok on January. And after this, I'll be regularly checking all low-fare airlines like, every time.

I'm gonna get back to you, Singapore.

And this trip, is sooo not a closure.

In fact, it's just a start

You Name It, I Ran Out of Words

Yo, it's been a while since my last post... Hhh selalu begitu intro dari postingan-postingan gue hahaha. Dan di postingan gue yang ngomongin soal penyanyi (dua dibawah yang ini), di ujung postnya gue bilang "I'm back on this blog again" dan nyatanya gue cuma bikin satu postingan doang setelah itu fufufu jadi malu.

Ya abis gimana, gak nyangka aja di liburan ini gue bakal sesibuk itu (cielah gaya lu Pik). Ngurusin buku saku dan jadi bendahara. Cuma dua itu aja gue udah kelabakan gak karuan.

Untung ditengah-tengah kegilaan itu, tepatnya kemaren dari tanggal 13 sampe 21, gue bisa dengan indahnya keluar dari segala ke-chaos-an hidup yang fana ini guna memenuhi impian lama gue yang udah gue rekam dalam postingan tanggal 4 Februari 2011 berjudul "Piggy Bank Rules".

Oke, dengan bangga saya persembahkan postingan kali ini untuk liburan terindah dan terliar yang pernah saya alami dimana kawan kawan??

Yes indeed!

B A L I

9 hari 8 malem? Gabakal cukup gue ceritain cuma dalem satu post. Ditambah dengan detil-detil ngaco dan gila yang gue lewatin bareng Muthe Dindut Bimo Bajay Nikon disana, butuh belasan postingan buat nampung itu semua.

Intinya, liburan ini bukan cuma ngasih kesenengan buat gue. Gue pun belajar banyak hal.

First of all, I learned how to handle and solve our own problems

Mulai dari jelajahin Poppies pagi malem buat nyari hotel yang lebih terjangkau, dengan sigap nyari mobil sewaan setelah tau mobil sebelumnya udah dibook orang, ngurusin revisi paket water sport, dorong mobil mogok karena keabisan bensin, sampe berantem sama tukang ojek mabok... kita ngerjain itu sendirian (well, yang terakhir itu cuma gue sih yang ngerjain hehe).

Secondly, I learned how to cheat people for our own good

Kamar hotel yang cuma buat bertiga bisa ditempatin enam orang, nyelinep masuk ke tempat-tempat yang harusnya bayar, nyamun minuman orang, that's what I call cheating for good.

Then I learned more about how to share

Berbagi ranjang, berbagi seafood, berbagi bebek bengil, berbagi ayam betutu, saling pinjem-meminjem uang, beliin snack sama minum sebotol gede buat bekel di kamar, ah parah deh serunya...

I also learned how to surf!

Bayar 100rb buat 3 jam maenan ombak? What more could I ask?

And I learned how to drive a car in a small alley and the rocky road of zombieland

Pada tau kan keadaan Poppies tuh kayak gimana? Sempitnya perparahan dan itu gak one way!! Ditambah ratusan motor dan pejalan kaki, yaaaa kebayang kan ya gimana repotnya bawa mobil disitu. Dan pas perjalanan ke Uluwatu kita sempet salah jalan ampe nyasar di some kind of road to nowhere dan pada saat itu dengan apesnya gue yang lagi giliran nyetir. What can we infer from the passage? My driving skill's increased HAHAHA *evil smirk*

Finally, I learned a bit how to control myself when i'm not me

Nothing to say, just showing some simple smirk and meaningful winked eye.

Have you ever felt such wonderful times with friends? Every moment felt so exciting. And without parents, you can figure out some new experiences and also some new sides of selves

What a trip, what a trip, WHAT... A... TRIP!!!

Honestly, I have not even a word that can describe this best.

It was too wonderful, amazing, unbelievable and indescribable.

And I'll do everything to go back there and feel the same ambience.

I'll be there soon, I promise