I was on the main street today waiting for the bus to school to arrive as usual, when this woman approached me with a flyer.
It was about the new motorcycle shop which opened recently, and the flyer was to increase awareness of the place. It's hard to ignore it when it's the new-looking building right smack in the middle of a street of old-looking buildings.
This teenage girl smiled at me, and told me (while handing me the flyer) about the motorcycle shop (full of Yamaha motorcycles). She proceeded to ask for my name, handphone number and address. I gave my name (I gave her my middle name) and address (I didn't even give my full address - I just pointed down my street and said I live at no 4), but not my number.
After that encounter, a lorry with a Yamaha motorcycle strapped at the back drove slowly past. There was a loudhailer on top of the lorry, and the person behind the loudhailer was announcing the presence of the new Yamaha motorcycle shop.
Talk about extreme advertising.
In just 5 minutes, there were flyers, a public event (the lorry's display of the motorcycle) and the gathering of information from potential customers.
I don't know whether to be impressed, because as the consumer, these actions are irritating. However, as a person who has been trained to market products to a certain group of people, this is very efficient.
That is in addition to all the billboards that are on the street. I think it's a case of information overload.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Saturday, August 22, 2009
It's Ramadhan!
The Muslim season of fasting is different in Singapore and in Indonesia.
In Singapore, everyone else goes on doing their own business while the Muslims avoid the canteen altogether and hang out in the library. However, in Indonesia, where 90% (or something around that number) of the world's Muslims are, Ramadhan is a different ball game altogether.
I'm lucky that the woman in charge of my rumah kos is Christian and therefore, I don't have to tiptoe around in her kitchen while making breakfast (my usual fare of oatmeal) after waking up late. They were having breakfast (lunch?) at 10am, and they had steak, fries and broccoli. Hardly fare fit for the fasting month. I was confused about her religion because she had Islamic writings hung on her walls. I'm not sure why they are there, but I can probably venture a guess. It's probably related to pacifying the local Muslim spirits(?). In Malaysia, some people believe that the spirits residing in the parcels of land from an ancient time, and Chinese and Indians pay respects to them by leaving offerings at roadside shrines for statues dressed in Malay clothes. (Prof. GBL, 2005) I'll probably ask Ibu Agus when my language skills becomes better and when I've been here longer.
I had lunch with Feng Yi at a restaurant because most of the warungs were closed till 4pm. This was the same restaurant I had lunch at when I first arrived in Yogyakarta 2 weeks ago. 2 weeks ago, I spent about Rp18.000 for tahu telor (tofu fried with egg), a bowl of vegetables in soup, 1 serving of rice and 1 chicken drumstick. Today, I paid Rp30.000 for about the same amount of food.
I'm not sure what extra food I ordered, but surely, it's not that much, is it?
FY reckons that food prices during lunch may have increased during Ramadhan to accomodate the fact that less people will come to eat lunch during Ramadhan. But the menu seems to look the same. I'm still confused.
"Bukan ayam goreng biasa" (Not the usual fried chicken), the sign outside the restaurant says. Then about 100 metres down, I see another sign from a steak house which says "Bukan sapi biasa".
Copyright is another problem here. As long as the phrase is catchy enough, people will use it without acknowledging where it came from. Also, along my street (Jalan Kaliurang), I see shops which provide proofreading services for undergraduate thesis. Shalina thinks that it actually means that the people in those shops might actually do the papers for the undergraduates. This is especially scary since Kaliurang is the street next to the UGM campus, and UGM is the oldest university (and very high-ranking) in Indonesia.
I'm hoping that only a few desperate undergraduates actually use these shops to graduate.
In Singapore, everyone else goes on doing their own business while the Muslims avoid the canteen altogether and hang out in the library. However, in Indonesia, where 90% (or something around that number) of the world's Muslims are, Ramadhan is a different ball game altogether.
I'm lucky that the woman in charge of my rumah kos is Christian and therefore, I don't have to tiptoe around in her kitchen while making breakfast (my usual fare of oatmeal) after waking up late. They were having breakfast (lunch?) at 10am, and they had steak, fries and broccoli. Hardly fare fit for the fasting month. I was confused about her religion because she had Islamic writings hung on her walls. I'm not sure why they are there, but I can probably venture a guess. It's probably related to pacifying the local Muslim spirits(?). In Malaysia, some people believe that the spirits residing in the parcels of land from an ancient time, and Chinese and Indians pay respects to them by leaving offerings at roadside shrines for statues dressed in Malay clothes. (Prof. GBL, 2005) I'll probably ask Ibu Agus when my language skills becomes better and when I've been here longer.
I had lunch with Feng Yi at a restaurant because most of the warungs were closed till 4pm. This was the same restaurant I had lunch at when I first arrived in Yogyakarta 2 weeks ago. 2 weeks ago, I spent about Rp18.000 for tahu telor (tofu fried with egg), a bowl of vegetables in soup, 1 serving of rice and 1 chicken drumstick. Today, I paid Rp30.000 for about the same amount of food.
I'm not sure what extra food I ordered, but surely, it's not that much, is it?
FY reckons that food prices during lunch may have increased during Ramadhan to accomodate the fact that less people will come to eat lunch during Ramadhan. But the menu seems to look the same. I'm still confused.
"Bukan ayam goreng biasa" (Not the usual fried chicken), the sign outside the restaurant says. Then about 100 metres down, I see another sign from a steak house which says "Bukan sapi biasa".
Copyright is another problem here. As long as the phrase is catchy enough, people will use it without acknowledging where it came from. Also, along my street (Jalan Kaliurang), I see shops which provide proofreading services for undergraduate thesis. Shalina thinks that it actually means that the people in those shops might actually do the papers for the undergraduates. This is especially scary since Kaliurang is the street next to the UGM campus, and UGM is the oldest university (and very high-ranking) in Indonesia.
I'm hoping that only a few desperate undergraduates actually use these shops to graduate.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Upacara Wisuda - Convocation ceremony at UGM
Today one of our Bahasa Indonesia tutors (who is just a few years older than us) had her graduation ceremony and invited us to watch. Feng Yi and I were in awe of the boys and girls donning beautiful batik clothes and kebayas underneath their graduation gowns.
It made me think about the popularity of batik in modern times. In Singapore, most young adults and youths would never think of wearing batik shirts to a party or a job interview. Yet in Arab Street and here in Malioboro - the Jogja equivalent of a major tourist shopping district - Caucasian tourists pay through the nose (and are usually ripped off) in their search for authentic batik shirts, paintings, table runners and the like.
Batik is still very much revered in Jogjakarta and Indonesia. I like seeing the Indonesians wear batik shirts, I think it becomes them very well and makes them look very smart. They wear batik to weddings, to conferences, for their daily wear, and even for their graduation ceremonies.
This is our tutor Mbak Nur who graduated from the Faculty of Cultural Sciences (Fakulti Ilmu Budaya) with her mom who is wearing a matching batik top. Selamat sukses Mbak Nur!
Flower Shower
While walking back to my kos home today, I saw a line of old women selling flowers. Being someone who simply can't resist flowers, I decided to stop and ask what they were used for.
If I didn't get it wrong, the people here use flowers to shower, like a kind of cleansing just before Lebaran.
Of course I had to buy some back to try. Back in Singapore my mum used to bring back occasional packets of flowers from the temple, and I would shower with them as well.
The flowers smelled so nice =) They made me happy. It's a beautiful feeling sloshing down water and flowers from head to toe.
Beautiful, although after everything you gotta clean up and pick up the flowers yourself =S
If I didn't get it wrong, the people here use flowers to shower, like a kind of cleansing just before Lebaran.
Of course I had to buy some back to try. Back in Singapore my mum used to bring back occasional packets of flowers from the temple, and I would shower with them as well.
The flowers smelled so nice =) They made me happy. It's a beautiful feeling sloshing down water and flowers from head to toe.
Beautiful, although after everything you gotta clean up and pick up the flowers yourself =S
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Lost, and My Fault.
I guess no exchange experience is complete without a 'I'm LOST, GODDAMNIT!' situation.
Today was actually quite a calm kinda day until nightfall.
One funny thing about Indonesian society is their tendency to shorten everything. It's akin to Singaporeans' love for acronyms (PIE, NUH etc). This shopping mall I went to today is called Plaza Ambarrukmo, but the locals call it Amplaz. This is just one of the many instances that I've seen this happening (I just cannot draw up any more examples right now). Is this probably due to the long line of syllabus formal Bahasa Indonesia has?
We needed passport sized pictures for matriculation at the university tomorrow, so we had to take some. Rp35.000 (about S$5) is pretty expensive by local standards, but they use photoshop and everything! It's quite different from the S$6 affair in Toa Payoh Central where they print straight from the digital camera.
This shop had a real photo booth so the person is properly lighted, and the person is able to choose from a total of 4 shots. And then, the assistant uses photoshop (like a professional, I must say - I was VERY impressed) to erase the customer's spots etc. And lightens the whole picture so the skin tone is a lot lighter than it is. I'm amused at this country's preoccupation with skin whiteners. I don't really care about how dark or white I am.
So, the result is printed at an ink-jet in a format like below:
Besides the basic photo-taking, the shop also provides services like below:
A customer enters the photo booth dressed in something crappy, and the assistant is able to change what he/she was wearing using photoshop!
I never thought about that before, and it's so innovative! Many times, my I/C sized pictures have me wearing stuff that I wear during leisure, and I have to send them to universities (like above) or for an application for a job.
And, this picture is given to the customer on a CD so he/she is able to print it at home or at a professional photo printing shop at a much cheaper price! (That's how I'm able to upload it to photobucket)
Indonesians really believe in providing service to the maximum.
We left the shopping mall at about 5.30pm, when the buses have already stopped running due to the dark. (The bus I'm used to does not run after nightfall.)
I dropped Shalina and Feng Yi at their place, and proceeded to ask the taxi driver if there is any good food on my street. He drove me a restaurant, and since I thought the restaurant was on my street, I refused his offer to wait, deciding to walk back instead.
When I got out of the restaurant, I realised it wasn't my street after all! I was about 4 streets away (though I didn't know it at that time). And it was really dark then. I waited along that street for a cab, but none came. I wanted to walk back, but I didn't know where I was. In my desperation, I called Karina (local student who was at NUS last semester) for help, since I knew she arrived in the city on Monday. She called a taxi for me (I also didn't know the number to call a taxi). After waiting for about an hour and a half (the taxi driver got lost) beside a shoe shop with a salesgirl who helped me greatly (I doubt salesgirls are that helpful in Singapore), I finally got a taxi. And a minimum taxi charge of Rp15.000.
The saying, 'You'll never know what you have missed until you need it' is very true. While I was waiting on the street watching motorcycles whiz by, I longed for the organised streets of Singapore where everything is laid out in squares. Also, taxis in Singapore usually arrive within 15 minutes after the customer calls. Of course, there is a horrible surcharge of S$2.50+ (depending on time belt), but at least they arrive quickly.
P.S: dinner bought at the restaurant was horrible. Vegetables were terribly dry and it was not terribly good. The meal cost Rp 10.500, about twice the cost of a bowl of bakso at a warung near my place. -_- I had to break open a packet of instant noodles.
Moral of the story is to keep a number to call taxis while in Yogyakarta.
The number to call is: 0274 565565. This is in case anyone needs it for next year or something.
Today was actually quite a calm kinda day until nightfall.
One funny thing about Indonesian society is their tendency to shorten everything. It's akin to Singaporeans' love for acronyms (PIE, NUH etc). This shopping mall I went to today is called Plaza Ambarrukmo, but the locals call it Amplaz. This is just one of the many instances that I've seen this happening (I just cannot draw up any more examples right now). Is this probably due to the long line of syllabus formal Bahasa Indonesia has?
We needed passport sized pictures for matriculation at the university tomorrow, so we had to take some. Rp35.000 (about S$5) is pretty expensive by local standards, but they use photoshop and everything! It's quite different from the S$6 affair in Toa Payoh Central where they print straight from the digital camera.
This shop had a real photo booth so the person is properly lighted, and the person is able to choose from a total of 4 shots. And then, the assistant uses photoshop (like a professional, I must say - I was VERY impressed) to erase the customer's spots etc. And lightens the whole picture so the skin tone is a lot lighter than it is. I'm amused at this country's preoccupation with skin whiteners. I don't really care about how dark or white I am.
So, the result is printed at an ink-jet in a format like below:
Besides the basic photo-taking, the shop also provides services like below:
A customer enters the photo booth dressed in something crappy, and the assistant is able to change what he/she was wearing using photoshop!
I never thought about that before, and it's so innovative! Many times, my I/C sized pictures have me wearing stuff that I wear during leisure, and I have to send them to universities (like above) or for an application for a job.
And, this picture is given to the customer on a CD so he/she is able to print it at home or at a professional photo printing shop at a much cheaper price! (That's how I'm able to upload it to photobucket)
Indonesians really believe in providing service to the maximum.
We left the shopping mall at about 5.30pm, when the buses have already stopped running due to the dark. (The bus I'm used to does not run after nightfall.)
I dropped Shalina and Feng Yi at their place, and proceeded to ask the taxi driver if there is any good food on my street. He drove me a restaurant, and since I thought the restaurant was on my street, I refused his offer to wait, deciding to walk back instead.
When I got out of the restaurant, I realised it wasn't my street after all! I was about 4 streets away (though I didn't know it at that time). And it was really dark then. I waited along that street for a cab, but none came. I wanted to walk back, but I didn't know where I was. In my desperation, I called Karina (local student who was at NUS last semester) for help, since I knew she arrived in the city on Monday. She called a taxi for me (I also didn't know the number to call a taxi). After waiting for about an hour and a half (the taxi driver got lost) beside a shoe shop with a salesgirl who helped me greatly (I doubt salesgirls are that helpful in Singapore), I finally got a taxi. And a minimum taxi charge of Rp15.000.
The saying, 'You'll never know what you have missed until you need it' is very true. While I was waiting on the street watching motorcycles whiz by, I longed for the organised streets of Singapore where everything is laid out in squares. Also, taxis in Singapore usually arrive within 15 minutes after the customer calls. Of course, there is a horrible surcharge of S$2.50+ (depending on time belt), but at least they arrive quickly.
P.S: dinner bought at the restaurant was horrible. Vegetables were terribly dry and it was not terribly good. The meal cost Rp 10.500, about twice the cost of a bowl of bakso at a warung near my place. -_- I had to break open a packet of instant noodles.
Moral of the story is to keep a number to call taxis while in Yogyakarta.
The number to call is: 0274 565565. This is in case anyone needs it for next year or something.
Monday, August 10, 2009
6pm and no lights.
I didn't do anything much today because both Fengyi and Shalina were inconvenienced and were feeling very tired.
I went to Jalan Maliboro (tourist spot - and therefore boring, but has good exchange rates at the Inna Garuda) this morning to change all my Singapore dollars into Indonesian rupiah. For a while, I was walking around with a stack of notes each of which was the equivalent of S$50 in the local society. I was scared.
That was the thickest pile of notes I have seen in a while.
There was a strike at a government office (I didn't understand the official sign - shame on me) along Jalan Maliboro.
The people on the streets just went on doing their own thing while the people involved in the strike sang the national anthem and created a lot of noise. They might have been enjoying themselves while doing a strike. I didn't understand what was going on and my Indonesian friend from Bali (who lives in my rumah kos) were in a hurry to leave the area as soon as we satisfied our curiosity (Fengyi was also with me).
Tomorrow, the ibu (what people here call older ladies) in charge of this place will install the air-con for me in my room. She is very sweet and she does the little things that other people wouldn't usually notice. For example, she lays out a set of cutlery and utensils in my room so I have my own set of bowls to use. Also, she provides 2 pillows and a blanket. She also allows me to use her kitchen to make my daily bowl of oatmeal.
She keeps an eye on the door so she knows who's out and who's in. I've got a curfew, but I don't see myself staying past that. The streets are a little scary to be around after dark, and I'll explain why in a bit. All in all, I like these little touches.
Since Fengyi and Shalina were feeling inconvenienced, I went out at 6pm to get dinner for myself.
While I was waiting for the place to prepare my dinner (a bit expensive, I must say, but I didn't want to try a warung yet because I'm still new here and my stomach is still sort of delicate), I took this picture. At 6.20pm.
Isn't it dark?
I thought it was 8pm until I looked at my phone.
The buses don't run after dark, so if I were at Fengyi and Shalina's place, I would have to take a taxi and spend about Rp 16.000 to get back to my rumah kos. It's such a major difference from Singapore where buses run till midnight. I guess people here do place family time above work.
This is the menu at the fancy place I bought my dinner from.
... And it's not really murtabak as seen in Singapore, but something similar. They actually fry the thing (in not-so-new oil) and it's huge. I was already feeling the effects when I finished half of it. I also realised that food vendors here like to fry their food. There was also the choice of adding ice cream/chocolate in lieu of beef, chicken or meat. I wonder how durian ice cream murtabak tastes like.
I have a sore throat, which is bad. I'm currently drinking lots of water in the hopes of it going away on its own. I don't want to go to the hospital!
I went to Jalan Maliboro (tourist spot - and therefore boring, but has good exchange rates at the Inna Garuda) this morning to change all my Singapore dollars into Indonesian rupiah. For a while, I was walking around with a stack of notes each of which was the equivalent of S$50 in the local society. I was scared.
That was the thickest pile of notes I have seen in a while.
There was a strike at a government office (I didn't understand the official sign - shame on me) along Jalan Maliboro.
The people on the streets just went on doing their own thing while the people involved in the strike sang the national anthem and created a lot of noise. They might have been enjoying themselves while doing a strike. I didn't understand what was going on and my Indonesian friend from Bali (who lives in my rumah kos) were in a hurry to leave the area as soon as we satisfied our curiosity (Fengyi was also with me).
Tomorrow, the ibu (what people here call older ladies) in charge of this place will install the air-con for me in my room. She is very sweet and she does the little things that other people wouldn't usually notice. For example, she lays out a set of cutlery and utensils in my room so I have my own set of bowls to use. Also, she provides 2 pillows and a blanket. She also allows me to use her kitchen to make my daily bowl of oatmeal.
She keeps an eye on the door so she knows who's out and who's in. I've got a curfew, but I don't see myself staying past that. The streets are a little scary to be around after dark, and I'll explain why in a bit. All in all, I like these little touches.
Since Fengyi and Shalina were feeling inconvenienced, I went out at 6pm to get dinner for myself.
While I was waiting for the place to prepare my dinner (a bit expensive, I must say, but I didn't want to try a warung yet because I'm still new here and my stomach is still sort of delicate), I took this picture. At 6.20pm.
Isn't it dark?
I thought it was 8pm until I looked at my phone.
The buses don't run after dark, so if I were at Fengyi and Shalina's place, I would have to take a taxi and spend about Rp 16.000 to get back to my rumah kos. It's such a major difference from Singapore where buses run till midnight. I guess people here do place family time above work.
This is the menu at the fancy place I bought my dinner from.
... And it's not really murtabak as seen in Singapore, but something similar. They actually fry the thing (in not-so-new oil) and it's huge. I was already feeling the effects when I finished half of it. I also realised that food vendors here like to fry their food. There was also the choice of adding ice cream/chocolate in lieu of beef, chicken or meat. I wonder how durian ice cream murtabak tastes like.
I have a sore throat, which is bad. I'm currently drinking lots of water in the hopes of it going away on its own. I don't want to go to the hospital!
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Okay, so I was the first to arrive and I'm the last to post a 'first post' here! I've been in Yogyakarta for a month and, well, it's been quite an experience living in a foreign country alone and having to use what knowledge I have of the language to find my way around! Nevertheless, I survived and it really is true what they say...what doesn't kill you just makes you stronger. ;)
I'm finding it really hard to try and summarise what's happened in the last month and a half so instead I shall try to write about what's coming up next for us three. :)
That picture there is of the entrance to Tiga Lima Homestay (http://tigalima.wordpress.com) where I have been staying since July 1st. It is a beautiful place, and I don't think I would have been able to find such a nice room in Jogja elsewhere at the same price but Feng Yi and I will be moving out at the end of this month to a smaller room in the same kost putri as Therese that is nearer to campus.
Classes start really soon - this Thursday in fact - and we are really excited to meet our dosen or Bahasa Indonesia teachers. All three of us will be in the same class initially until our teachers decide what level we should be in. Ah, school is just starting and already we are being tested!
Here's a link to my blog that has an FAQ for anyone who is interested in going on exchange at the Gadjah Mada University. I'll be adding more information when I have time and I hope it'll be useful. Check it out here.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
My First Day in Indonesia.
(Batam and Bintan don't really count)
I landed in Yogyakarta and saw the red and white flag fluttering without any stars or crescent on it and I felt my heart skip a beat. I thought it was a dream.
My first hour was kind of dreamlike; I meandered my way through the Immigration department, relying on my limited fluency of Bahasa Indonesia to get through. Shalina and Fengyi were welcome faces in a crowd. I was the last to arrive among the 3 of us.
They whisked me off to supermarkets, my rumah kos (perfectly local, by the way) and the kartu telepon shop. They actually had an itinerary planned for me.
We spent most of our travelling time on bus 7 (probably my favourite bus). It goes to UGM and Tigalima (where Shalina and Fengyi currently reside), and cost Rp 2,500 no matter the distance. Things were informal. Fares can be collected during the journey or after the journey. I wonder why people didn't leap off the bus to avoid paying fares, since the bus doors are always open. Fengyi's new cup almost fell off the bus due to some violent rumblings of the bus.
Note to self: hands should be tightly on bags/belongings while on bus.
The person in charge of my rumah kos is Ibu Agus and she seems to be a very sweet natured person, and she has thoughtfully laid out some utensils for me as well as to clean my room pretty well. Around me are local students. I'm still feeling pretty shy so I am hiding in my room. Maybe I shall emerge from it soon, when my command of language is a lot better.
I love supermarkets. They reflect the culture of a society through the things on sale there.
Avocados!
We spied some durians at Giant. Fengyi and I are going to sneak some back and eat it without Shalina knowing (since the latter hates the fruit).
I landed in Yogyakarta and saw the red and white flag fluttering without any stars or crescent on it and I felt my heart skip a beat. I thought it was a dream.
My first hour was kind of dreamlike; I meandered my way through the Immigration department, relying on my limited fluency of Bahasa Indonesia to get through. Shalina and Fengyi were welcome faces in a crowd. I was the last to arrive among the 3 of us.
They whisked me off to supermarkets, my rumah kos (perfectly local, by the way) and the kartu telepon shop. They actually had an itinerary planned for me.
We spent most of our travelling time on bus 7 (probably my favourite bus). It goes to UGM and Tigalima (where Shalina and Fengyi currently reside), and cost Rp 2,500 no matter the distance. Things were informal. Fares can be collected during the journey or after the journey. I wonder why people didn't leap off the bus to avoid paying fares, since the bus doors are always open. Fengyi's new cup almost fell off the bus due to some violent rumblings of the bus.
Note to self: hands should be tightly on bags/belongings while on bus.
The person in charge of my rumah kos is Ibu Agus and she seems to be a very sweet natured person, and she has thoughtfully laid out some utensils for me as well as to clean my room pretty well. Around me are local students. I'm still feeling pretty shy so I am hiding in my room. Maybe I shall emerge from it soon, when my command of language is a lot better.
I love supermarkets. They reflect the culture of a society through the things on sale there.
Avocados!
We spied some durians at Giant. Fengyi and I are going to sneak some back and eat it without Shalina knowing (since the latter hates the fruit).
Friday, August 7, 2009
My First Post!
Today was such a holiday!
Out of randomness we watched a movie and wow, the cinema was really beautiful, clean, modern, and each movie ticket cost only SGD2.20!
I've always found it a waste of money to watch movies in Singapore...but not here!!
Today there was also a wedding held in one of the nearby houses...so we decided to crash it. Didn't stay for long though, cos we were rudely underdressed for the occasion and felt pretty extra.
In the evening we went to this Indian restaurant to satisfy Shalina's craving for Indian food (she's an Indian Muslim). It was really, beautiful and quite high-end according to Indonesian standards. 4-6 SGD per meal brings you to an extremely posh restaurant like this (Typically, you can fill your stomach with $1).
It had beautiful murals too...
It was a restaurant that attracted many foreigners and expats...and I guess somehow we just became part of that "foreigner" and "expat" culture.
I always feel guilty when I do that though...somehow I think it's terrible to be enjoying good food when people are sleeping on the streets caked with dust?
Out of randomness we watched a movie and wow, the cinema was really beautiful, clean, modern, and each movie ticket cost only SGD2.20!
I've always found it a waste of money to watch movies in Singapore...but not here!!
We watched Up, and I really enjoyed it cos I thought it was pretty philosophical and meaningful. I like the idea of how something once so sweet and beautiful could end up being a burden. But just let go of it...let go...and you'd never know how high you could fly again, if only you'd just let go =)
This is a random tree I saw on campus, I thought it was beautiful despite its nakedness.
Today there was also a wedding held in one of the nearby houses...so we decided to crash it. Didn't stay for long though, cos we were rudely underdressed for the occasion and felt pretty extra.
Didn't get to see much interesting stuff, but instead sat through 4 incomprehensible (and hence extremely boring) speeches.
The decoration was beautiful though...that's the beauty of handmade stuff (especially stuff made from trees and leaves, just like the Baci ceremony in Laos).
In the evening we went to this Indian restaurant to satisfy Shalina's craving for Indian food (she's an Indian Muslim). It was really, beautiful and quite high-end according to Indonesian standards. 4-6 SGD per meal brings you to an extremely posh restaurant like this (Typically, you can fill your stomach with $1).
It had beautiful murals too...
It was a restaurant that attracted many foreigners and expats...and I guess somehow we just became part of that "foreigner" and "expat" culture.
I always feel guilty when I do that though...somehow I think it's terrible to be enjoying good food when people are sleeping on the streets caked with dust?
Today on the bus, there was a young girl singing and clapping. She sang a very nice song with a very sweet voice, and I thought she was just a happy girl sitting at the back of the bus.
But later on I realized she was a singer-beggar, one of the many street kids in Indonesia. When she stretched out her hand for money I was too shocked to even respond. She looked sad...cos no one gave her any money.
I promise to give some money to child singers on the bus next time...
It's kind of an unfair world.
But later on I realized she was a singer-beggar, one of the many street kids in Indonesia. When she stretched out her hand for money I was too shocked to even respond. She looked sad...cos no one gave her any money.
I promise to give some money to child singers on the bus next time...
It's kind of an unfair world.
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