My Study Place

I have to mentioned in my previous post, that I learning English in IALF. IALF has an office at Jakarta, Surabaya and Bali. Many of Indonesian scholar who apply for ADS scholarship has been improved their English for six months.

IALF bulding view from the outside

Receptionist at IALF

My Boarding House

OK, This is my boarding house :) I rent one room sharing with my best friend who work in the same place with me. My boarding house located at Bedugul street, it just need around 30 minutes to Sesetan street where IALF is located. Althought is quite far from IALF, but I like staying here because the place is so clean and have beautiful garden with colorful color.Beside that, I can find a halal food easily. There so many shop which sell halal food surrounding my boarding house. Also local supermarket can reached by 5 minutes walking.

And this pictures below is inside of my room

It's quite comfortable, isn't it?

Wellcome in Bali

Yey!! Finally, I officially  landed in Ngurah Rai airport in Bali :)

 
I have been in the most tourism destination Island in Indonesia for three months. Unfortunately I go to Bali not for holiday but for studying English. I have gotten scholarship from Research and Technology Ministry to learning  English for Academic Purpose. It's such a blessing to me!!! Really thankful for God. Because I really wanted to improve my English skill and explore Bali :D

We was piked by IALF (Indonesia Australia Language Foundation) staff at airport. We used a travel car to go to IALF place. In the car,  I found an unique thing which usually find in Balinese live. 

And almost in every corss road has a statue..

So, in the next posting I will sharing my experiences in Bali :)

Lawang Sewu

On this weekend,  I visited Semarang, a capital city of Province central Jave because of my best friend wedding :). I went there from Jakarta with my best friend Sri by train. Our driver in Semarang was our friend at collage, thanks to Tirto Sunaryo who accompanied us patiently

Semarang has its own charming with contrasting modern mid-rises, Dutch colonial architecture, Chinatown, and small kampong jutting against each other. 

But, unfortunately We just have a little time to explore Semarang.  We visited Lawang Sewu  building which located at Pemuda roundabout. 

In the center of Lawang Sewu Building

Lawang Sewu which the meaning is thousand doors. See the pictures below and you'll see the reason why this bulding called Lawang Sewu... So many door, isn't  it?

Doors in Lawang Sewu

The history of this building cannot separated from Indonesia train history. Because this building has been built as Het Hoofdkantooor van Nederlansch-Indische Spoorweg Maatscappij  (NIS) or center officer NIS. NIS was the private train office in Indian-Dutch Government.

 

In that time, I think this building was really high-tech :D While society in Indonesia still take a bath at river side, this building has a beautiful toilet as seen below,  equipped with sanitary ceramic for had wash, closet, etc.

This building keep cool although weather in surrounding building is warm. Not because this building used AC, because that time when this building had built,  AC hadn't invented. This building keep cool because in  the  underground level has area  to collect water. The water from  well drain to upper level through pipe in the tower of this building. Because of drain of water makes this building keep cool. In addition,  the attic was designed to prevent the sunlight.

In the Japanese colonial period, this building become defense headquarters. So, in the underground used as a jail and the massacre of patriots Indonesia. This building has long been abandoned and  become famous because of  horror stories which spread among community.

But now  restoration has been performed, this building not scary anymore. In this building there a room to display historical story of this building. Sometimes we don't respect the heritage which we have, because we didn't know how meaningful the story behind....

Revealing the beauty of Jakarta

Yey.. my postcard to Portugal finally arrived.. And I got a massage:

"Hello Windar
Thanks a lot for yoir beautiful postcard.
Jakarta must be a nice city to live.
Have a nice day
Filomena"

 

I must agree that Jakarta must be a nice city  but only in the picture. I had taken several photos Jakarta at night and my friend also said that Jakarta looks so warm and beauty, only at night :)

Yes, I must be agree that Jakarta is beauty, but sometimes we (People who live in Jakarta) didn't realize it.   Because we see that view, the same view everyday...for example, people from remotes area when came to Jakarta will amazed with the flickering light of the skyscrapers.

Sometimes, this case  also happen in our life.. sometimes people look us very happy and people envy with our lives, but we didn't fell like that, we didn't felt great at all. Maybe people just look us only from the outer layer, didn't know the difficulties we have..

So, same with Filomena and my friend who said Jakarta is beautiful and nice city. They only conclude it from one side.. after see a picture of Jakarta in night.

Or maybe, I must change my paradigm.. When people said that I very lucky with my lives and I didn't fel lucky,  so I must see the positive side in my  lives then I can thankful for what I have in my live.

Same for Jakarta, I must see the positive side of Jakarta.  I must thankful can live in Jakarta, because I have limitless  access while so many people in other areas Indonesia  still face so many difficulties to get access to electricity, education, health, etc. Maybe I can revealing the beauty of Jakarta someday :)

Jakarta's Carnival

Jakarta's carnival held annually for celebrate 484th anniversary of Jakarta.

Enjoy Jakarta

 

Today is Jakarta's 484th  anniversary celebration. In my porch I have seen a beautiful fireworks. But, I fell that Jakarta not as pretty as fireworks.

Formerly known as Batavia, Jakarta is currently the largest city in the country with an area of 661 square kilometers. A census in 2010 confirmed a whopping population of 9,580,000, which is more than twice the population of Singapore. This has made it the city with the ninth highest population density in the world with 14,464 living and breathing people per square kilometer.

Because of that, Jakarta so crowded.. densely populated residential with poor sanitation, traffic jam everywhere, beggar and children street, lack of green areas, and others metropolis city's problems. 

As time goes by, I hope Jakarta could overcome the problems faced so people in this city can enjoy Jakarta :)

From me who cannot enjoy Jakarta

Snapshots in Old Town

In Sunday, I went to Old Town Jakarta. Old town Jakarta famed as Old Batavia. Actually I went there to celebrated 4th birthday of Goodreads Indonesia. In this event, I become newbie photographer. I have upload my photos in  Goodreads flickr. But, after that event finished, we (Me and Lia) hunting some photos around the old town Jakarta.

This is  my snapshot in old town (not confident to upload it in flickr :D)

Between new and old building

Relax at the window

Batavia Hotel

Wooden Puppet Museum

Fatahillah Museum

Earth Hour

 

Tonight is earth hour, and Indonesia has been participated this event to light off the lamp around Indonesia Hotel circle as a center of capital city of Indonesia.

But this event make a traffic jam in the road around Indonesia Hotel circle. I think the energy out because this event are bigger than energy save because light off the lamp. Just one hour, to light off the lamp, but traffic jam more than one hour

Its not mean that I disagree with this event, but maybe the crucial think in my country not only about the electricity but also the system of transportation.  And electricity access in my country still low compared the developed country. Maybe car free day in my country more effective to contribute save earth program.

Patengan Lake

Situ Patengan (Patengan lake) is located at the Rancabali village-Ciwidey, about 40 kilometers to the south from Bandung-Indonesia. So, if you visiting Bandung, don't forget to go to Ciwidey. Ciwiday has a lot of  tourism area besides Patengan Lake,there also has Kawah Putih (white creater), hot springs, strawberry farm,.....  I love going to mountain, because I was born and breed in Bandung which is surrounded by mountain =). Patengang lake has beautiful scenery, surrounded by tea plantation, and has fresh air...


There a story behind the name of Patengan lake (a myth actually), Patengan derived from Sundaness languange (one of tribal languange in Indonesia) Pateangan-teangan (seeking each others). Love story betwee prince Prabu and incarnation of goddess princess who grown up with nature. Ki santang (Prince) and Dewi Rengganis (goddess) parted for so long (I don't know why, so don't ask me why they separated each other). Because they have deep feeling of love, so they meet each other in place called love stone. Rengganis Goddess asked Ki Santang make a lake and boat to sail. Until now the boat becoming an island which heart shaped. The Island named Pulau Asmara (Romance Island). Based on this myth the couple who stop by love stone or encircle romance island will get eternal love like love of  Ki Santang and Rengganis.

on the way to the lake

Mountain of tea Plantation

View of Patengan lake from our car

Welcome to Patengan Lake

Fruits and souvenir shop

Sapodilla fruit in different colour *i like it*

View of Patengan Lake

Boat

Crossing the lake by swan boat Rp.30.000/hour

View from swan boat in the middle of lake

View from my swan boat: another boat *like wallpaper...i llike this pic*

"Pulau Asmara" - Romance Island *I didn't encircle this island, just pass it :D*

Stone of Love...

Boats which arrived at love stone

View while I standing near love stone

A couple write their name in love stone *vandalism?*

Please sit properly sign
*I wonder why people create this sign, because many visitor didn't sat properly? I can't imagine how visitors has been sat?!*

As mist ticker its time to go home...

Because I don't have much time in Ciwidey, I just visited Patengan Lake... Maybe you curious  why Patengan Lake? Because my best friend never visit this lake...  Yes, because I come from Bandung, I become a  guide...
Actually White Crater (Kawah Putih) has amazing scenery.. maybe next time I will post the view :)