first trip alone #1
Being unable to collect midnite spirit for my you-know-what-not-to-mention project...ehm, I decided to blog-roll instead. Ehehe...here's my another stupid iddlity...
I'll babble bout my first trip alone, ^_^
Considered, I'd tell it in English, as almost all the conversation is actually in English, and it'd be quite awkward to translate it to Indonesian. And anyway, I just want to i.m.p.r.o.v.e..
It was meant to be a seminar. in Singapore. February last year. Well, as I told you, no matter how hectic I am in a academic life, I'd do ANYTHING to travel (well of course I'm not that academic-ignorance...but still. Anything to travel! as I believe a travel would bring more value than sulking upon class subjects. hahwhehehekke).
Like all writings, let's first define 'travel'. I simply put its definition as "transfering oneself from one spot to another, in quite a distance. No matter the occasion". Hehe...The Seminar wasn't that appealing, at least not for me...But I'd welcomed the offer anyway. Go to S'pore, it was only just for 4 days, list of schedules in hand, interesting topics actually in the Seminar. Project Management. I was probably the sole student in the conference. Anyway, it's Singapore! it's probably the savest corner on the world. What could happen in such save environment, I convinced myself. I'd get around easily, little island, There shouldn't be any fuss. A day before departure, I decided to go, bought an Air-Asia (Oh You're the king in flying!) ticket, and set up to Jakarta. Had myself browse some backpacker lodge around the area, and jot down the address for further reference. I know I'd needed it.
This is my second trip to S'pore. I recall the first one was when I was 9, my mom was with me, --well-- in between her tight schedules. I was--when I was9-- practically left alone, being sent to a travel agency and taken care by a newly wed malaysian pair. and I remembered w/ very restricted English, having to drill mentioning "where's the toilet" like 10 times before I was confident enough to spill out the question. sheesh. me, that time. I remembered also, after having few nights in quite a hotel down in OrchardRd, we-me and mi mom-move to an economic hotel. It's quite far, I didn't recall where it was, but I remembered the rustic odour, and the old fashioned elevator--you know the elevator which has doeble doors, one for the box, and the other for each level, that goes one up, one down when you open it. The bed goes shrieky all the time and the water heater goes on and off. The floor was layered with greenish yellow patterned melanin sheets, torn here and there. Dull. I even remembered I accidently poured hot water onto my mother's leg while we cooked Supermi inside (sorry mum)..Hmm.We managed to be savvy 11 years ago. And so did my plan last year. I was wishing I could find the exact motel, which I presume would be staggering cheap, until then (which was actually hypothetically stupid! regarding the span of 11 years! d-Uh). I was quite lucky to found the spot in the map (Amazingly I remembered the name of the road!), and decided to go find it as soon as I get there. Of course, I've got my back up plan, but having no idea what it's like, it remained back up.
Got at changi at 11, I assumed I had plenty of time to find the place. In and Out MRT stations, I walked and walked, w/ back wrecked out having to endure such load and flipping maps just to find out things were totally different back then. Anyway, having passed the hotel several times, based on the map, I was sure it was it, but I was not so sure that the view was totally altered from what I'd remembered. The dull greyish building I remembered was somehow transformed into a pale orange painted grand hotel! Oh wow, I thought. The owner must have won a lottery some time in between this last 11 years! My back's aching and I'm so flaked out that I decided to go in anyway. Finger crossed, my heart was throbbing as I asked the fare. I took dorm room. A room for 5. Girls only. There was only one person besides me, an Indian girl majoring in Law and was having an internship in Singapore for a whole month. Oh, how lucky she was I thought. But the place was fine. The fare was...ok. at least for a nite. I'll have to move tomorrow. Or I can't buy anything!! It's singapore, d_uh, What else you can do! And it's sales season!! WEEHEE!!!
OK. Having my things settled, I went to the venue where the conference will be held. Reregister. And Yes. I was the sole student. :D. It's sometimes nice being the youngest. hehehe...Oh, and I managed to find the backpacker lodge which address I'd noted. It was 3 blocks away from the venue. As I booked that afternoon, the owner (which is actually an Indonesian, Magelang, to be more precise!), told me that a dorm room for 4, girls only, would be available for me for the next day. WEEHEE once again! The fare is, 1/9 times the default hotel! only 7$S a nite, about Rp. 40ribu at that time. And i imagine myself showered w/ shopping spreeess...
The next, day. The conference starts early. It's always exhilirating meeting new people, as we were conditioned to do so. Ice breaker session and all. And how I found it little awkward mingling in such professional environment. Of course the talk was also, professional. But everybody was nice, and few people kept looking that morning at me, and finally took chance asking,"You're Indonesian?" iherhe...it's funny, coz they said my face is a lil bit filipino. Am I?. One of them I learned was a tutor in ITB, and there's coupla Indonesians in the conference. Everybody comes from different places in the world. but that day I was as clumsy as ever. And that clumsiness, was surely no good....coz...hmm...
I'll tell you what happens later on...this is really stupid. Well, anyway, don't bother to read if you don't want to. Who told you to read in the first place anyway?
Read the #2 part here
I'll babble bout my first trip alone, ^_^
Considered, I'd tell it in English, as almost all the conversation is actually in English, and it'd be quite awkward to translate it to Indonesian. And anyway, I just want to i.m.p.r.o.v.e..
It was meant to be a seminar. in Singapore. February last year. Well, as I told you, no matter how hectic I am in a academic life, I'd do ANYTHING to travel (well of course I'm not that academic-ignorance...but still. Anything to travel! as I believe a travel would bring more value than sulking upon class subjects. hahwhehehekke).
Like all writings, let's first define 'travel'. I simply put its definition as "transfering oneself from one spot to another, in quite a distance. No matter the occasion". Hehe...The Seminar wasn't that appealing, at least not for me...But I'd welcomed the offer anyway. Go to S'pore, it was only just for 4 days, list of schedules in hand, interesting topics actually in the Seminar. Project Management. I was probably the sole student in the conference. Anyway, it's Singapore! it's probably the savest corner on the world. What could happen in such save environment, I convinced myself. I'd get around easily, little island, There shouldn't be any fuss. A day before departure, I decided to go, bought an Air-Asia (Oh You're the king in flying!) ticket, and set up to Jakarta. Had myself browse some backpacker lodge around the area, and jot down the address for further reference. I know I'd needed it.
This is my second trip to S'pore. I recall the first one was when I was 9, my mom was with me, --well-- in between her tight schedules. I was--when I was9-- practically left alone, being sent to a travel agency and taken care by a newly wed malaysian pair. and I remembered w/ very restricted English, having to drill mentioning "where's the toilet" like 10 times before I was confident enough to spill out the question. sheesh. me, that time. I remembered also, after having few nights in quite a hotel down in OrchardRd, we-me and mi mom-move to an economic hotel. It's quite far, I didn't recall where it was, but I remembered the rustic odour, and the old fashioned elevator--you know the elevator which has doeble doors, one for the box, and the other for each level, that goes one up, one down when you open it. The bed goes shrieky all the time and the water heater goes on and off. The floor was layered with greenish yellow patterned melanin sheets, torn here and there. Dull. I even remembered I accidently poured hot water onto my mother's leg while we cooked Supermi inside (sorry mum)..Hmm.We managed to be savvy 11 years ago. And so did my plan last year. I was wishing I could find the exact motel, which I presume would be staggering cheap, until then (which was actually hypothetically stupid! regarding the span of 11 years! d-Uh). I was quite lucky to found the spot in the map (Amazingly I remembered the name of the road!), and decided to go find it as soon as I get there. Of course, I've got my back up plan, but having no idea what it's like, it remained back up.
Got at changi at 11, I assumed I had plenty of time to find the place. In and Out MRT stations, I walked and walked, w/ back wrecked out having to endure such load and flipping maps just to find out things were totally different back then. Anyway, having passed the hotel several times, based on the map, I was sure it was it, but I was not so sure that the view was totally altered from what I'd remembered. The dull greyish building I remembered was somehow transformed into a pale orange painted grand hotel! Oh wow, I thought. The owner must have won a lottery some time in between this last 11 years! My back's aching and I'm so flaked out that I decided to go in anyway. Finger crossed, my heart was throbbing as I asked the fare. I took dorm room. A room for 5. Girls only. There was only one person besides me, an Indian girl majoring in Law and was having an internship in Singapore for a whole month. Oh, how lucky she was I thought. But the place was fine. The fare was...ok. at least for a nite. I'll have to move tomorrow. Or I can't buy anything!! It's singapore, d_uh, What else you can do! And it's sales season!! WEEHEE!!!
OK. Having my things settled, I went to the venue where the conference will be held. Reregister. And Yes. I was the sole student. :D. It's sometimes nice being the youngest. hehehe...Oh, and I managed to find the backpacker lodge which address I'd noted. It was 3 blocks away from the venue. As I booked that afternoon, the owner (which is actually an Indonesian, Magelang, to be more precise!), told me that a dorm room for 4, girls only, would be available for me for the next day. WEEHEE once again! The fare is, 1/9 times the default hotel! only 7$S a nite, about Rp. 40ribu at that time. And i imagine myself showered w/ shopping spreeess...
The next, day. The conference starts early. It's always exhilirating meeting new people, as we were conditioned to do so. Ice breaker session and all. And how I found it little awkward mingling in such professional environment. Of course the talk was also, professional. But everybody was nice, and few people kept looking that morning at me, and finally took chance asking,"You're Indonesian?" iherhe...it's funny, coz they said my face is a lil bit filipino. Am I?. One of them I learned was a tutor in ITB, and there's coupla Indonesians in the conference. Everybody comes from different places in the world. but that day I was as clumsy as ever. And that clumsiness, was surely no good....coz...hmm...
I'll tell you what happens later on...this is really stupid. Well, anyway, don't bother to read if you don't want to. Who told you to read in the first place anyway?
Read the #2 part here
1 Comments:
Brit, lu kok bisa sih inget kenangan masa kecil dengan kelas? That's amazing. Maksud gw, gw udah susah nginget kenangan gw di bawah SMP. Bagi gw klo seseorang bisa inget dengan jelas masa kecilnya itu anugrah.
Wah, pengen ih jalan2 ke luar negeri. Kaayanya asik. Btw, errr... muka lu Filipina dari mananya Brit?
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