what would you do if you only had a day in Surabaya? just go around the city and enjoy it!

getting started:

i was taking mandala airways with a return ticket,,,it was quite expensive actually, since my friend and i had just booked the tickets on the day of our departure…however, since we’re taking that airways, we’re boarding from the new terminal of soekarno-hatta airport: the terminal 3,, exclusive for airasia and mandala airways only, and for domestic flight only….the building is quite nice with modern architecture design and just reminded me of some airports in australia…

places you must visit:

the Commodore Cheng Ho mosque….if only there weren’t any Arabic caligraphy and Allah symbol on the peak of the roof, people would think the building is a temple

SuraMadu Bridge….located on the north, as it named, the bridge connects Madura island with Surabaya. toll fee IDR 30,000/car, IDR 3000/motorbike. watching it from afar is quite fascinating already, so if you just want to take some pics, just find a perfect spot to shoot some photos (stopping in on the bridge-in the middle of the street- is not allowed)

Surabaya is quite well known for krupuk (crackers) and salted fish, and the place you can buy them in good price is Kenjeran.

The Suro(shark)-Boyo(croc) statue cannot be missed for sure!

No need to go across the ocean to get to singapore…because there’s an area that’s called “the singapore of surabaya” complete with the replica of Merlion

if you just want to stop wondering how the-biggest-prostitution-area-in-southeastasia looks like, it’s okay to drive around dolly area…just be very careful if you are girls (boys as well, actually!)

in general, surabaya is just as generic as other metropolitant,,,not much different from jakarta. but jakarta has the more high rise buildings…..but there’s one interesting building in Surabaya. it’s still recent, and the architect is ridwan kamil: Gramedia Surabaya

culinary…

there’re lots of famous foods from surabaya like Rujak Cingur (veggie salad with cow’s inner mouth), Lontong Kupang, Petis and many more…but since i’m a vegetarian, i had Mie Kluntung Jawa as my lunch, which was soooo delicious!! yummy! in Pujasera, there’s a quite nice restaurant with good deal price

and if you’re looking for a place to buy some special snack and crackers from surabaya, Genteng is definately the right place. there’s one shop that’s very famous here:

hotel

there’re lots of hotels in surabaya, but since i went there actually for a business purpose, the company booked for us a 4 star hotel: the Plaza Surabaya Hotel

one of the complications of being twenty something is the relationship status. everyone in that range of age must be ready to hear that intruding-personal-life question: “have you got any boy/girl-friend?”

in australia, asking that kind of question is so rude. like i said, it’s intruding someone’s personal life. because basicly it’s none of your business whether that person is in any realtionship or not. unfortunately, indonesian people are just too care for other people, especially about their personal lives, which is very annoying.

in my opinion, it’s not your rights to ask someone (even your friend) whether she/he is dating someone or not, who this ‘lucky’ person is, when they will go to the next step of their relationship….just back off! if your friend is in relationship, she/he is the one who should introduce her/his partner to you…if she/he doesn’t tell you anything and life goes just well, then just mind your own life….and if you are a stranger and dare to ask that question the second after asking about name, you must know that the feeling is the same as you’re asking “what does your father do?”

(picture take from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/He%27s_Just_Not_That_into_You_(film))

while the book was -i think- too much of men’s point of view, the movie is more balance. yes women are denial, yes women do not want to hear what their inner heart tells, yes women make things more complicated…but yet, men also do! when you fall into someone, you’ll give signs: by the way you look at him/her, by your body language, by your giving priority, and so on…and that works vice versa. you will also give signs when you are not interested in the person you just went out date with. but as human being, nothing’s going as strict as a mathematic formula. there are always exceptions, anomalies, and magic!

each character represents each love problems: a woman who seeks for a man who is really into her (Goodwin), a man who is in denial for love (Long), a woman who desperatly but never give up (?? yeah, i think that’s the best description) finding her ‘right-one’ through any means of modern communication (Berrymore), a couple who are in search for the meaning of true love (Anniston-Affleck), a man who doesn’t want to hear his inner heart (Connoly), the love triangle that differs between love and lust (Johansson, Connely,Cooper)

finally, i think this movie is entertaining enough to be recommended

and if you like, you can have a look at the book and find what Greg Behrendt tells you about signs when “he’s just not that into you”

(picture taken from http://www.amazon.com)

wow, it’s been a very long time since my last post…….well, here i am back on track (?)

lots of things happened

i finally graduated from uni with a good grade, thankfully.

have been working as a junior architect….and start writing again

the bombing in kuningan, july 17, was pretty shocking and upsetting in the same time. it caused manchester united fc failed to come here.

that’s on friday. the next day, i went to singapore with my parents. they stayed with my sister for a week. for me it was a very short visit, though it was so much fun since i spent the whole day with my senior from uni who now works there, ofi. only one thing i regreted so much, i didn’t spend enough time with my cute little niece and nephew … the swine flu issue made everybody was so worry, including me. but as soon as i arrived in singapore, everything’s seemed…normal…no people wearing healthy mask

since i’ve got low budget (as always) so i tried to spend as little amoount of money as i could BUT got many things interesting in return

target: architecture in singapore

la salle college of the arts, that’s the name of the building….it was very modern. built of glass and steel. very interesting in shape and form and layout. dynamic and openess, i thought that should be in the concept. in 2008, it got the president’s award and awarded as building of the year from singapore institute of architecture….on the center of the outdoor hall, under a giant tent stucture, was an artificial grass field,was not very large, but quite convinient with chill wind blowing….

la salle institute singapore

artificial grass field

well, when it’s time to pray then it’s time to pray. my senior brought me to the historical mosque in singapore. when we got there, it’s time for Asar prayer and they’re having an event for Isra’ Mi’raj. so the mosque was so fully crowded by jama’ah. we did the prayer together, jama’ah. but my senior and i skipped the preaching….i didn’t have much time for exploring singapore but had many places to visit,,,,

masjid sultan at arab street

well, actually i didn’t miss bugis street and orchard road. but both area were just for shopping (which i didn’t do) and i didn’t come to singapore for shopping anyway. and nothing really different from any shopping centers in jakarta. i lingered in orchard until the dusk.

after that, continue to explanade…for dinner actually…but the scenery was good. especially the sight to underconstruction area of marina bay project. the 3 towers were amazing. unfortunately it’s dark already and m camera was not sufficient for taking pictures for such a distant.

explanade

of course i didn’t miss nice food….one of the foods i tried there was Popiah. it reminded me of lumpia basah.

the wrapping was like kebab but quite soft. the wrapped was veggi, boiled-crushed egg, prawn, nut….the taste was good. not really sweet not really salty. i like this one. it costed about $4-5. i forgot.( i didn’t pay for it anyway, ;p , my senior did.) she’s soo kind.

popiah with prawn

dear A,

what an idiot i was today!

you know what, i was so happy that i could meet you again finally. after all these years. you have no idea how eager i had been to meet you today.  i had lots of things i want to talk about, ask about,,,i wanted to take pictures with you to freeze the moment,,,just had many plans in mind what to do when meeting you again

but i screwed it up, just like the last time we spent some times together

what an idiot!

the thing was today, on that occasion, i had lots of people i wanted to greet and had a little chat within such a very limit time…but with you, i was planning to have a very long chat

there’re not many people you knew there, though thankfully I.S was there so he could accompany you, but still i feel so guilty leaving many times. we did have a nice short conversation, which maybe would’ve been the long one if N hadn’t showed up saying she’s gotta go. she’s one of my old best friend, and we hadn’t seen each other for a long time, so i had to spent just a little more time before she went home….but things were getting uncontrolable when other friends came joined us, the girls <yeah you know how girls can get very excited when meeting each other>…until, DAAA! you were saying “i’m going home now.”…..and the most stupid thing was, i just said to you “okay” and just let you go like that.

maybe you now think i’m not a good friend anymore

i wasn’t even very friendly to you am i? maybe you think so

but believe me, i am still the friend you’ve always known. i’m so sorry for today. really hope you could forgive me.

also really hope that we can have another event to meet each other again <please God, give us the way>

once again, forgive me.

dear U,

you are one of my oldest friends. we’ve known each other since we were in kindergarten…(wow, it feels just like yesterday),,i remember how i envied your smell so good lunch. we were not very close yet during that time

in elementary,,,,,,i remember how much i dislike you. how much i was so mean, making you as a public enemy and did nasty things to you…(yeah, i really did. there’re lots of lots nasty things i did to u behind ur back) but i think that was not my fault, you were making yourself dislikeable that time. and i didn’t care at all when u had to be friends with senior because none of our friends wanted to be your friend.

in junior high… i was not the mean girl anymore and you were getting more likeable,,,i could even call you a friend. i forgot what event made us closer. but i think in front of you i always play nice (fake angel, devil within) so you always liked me and maybe thought i wasn’t the one behind those nasty things in elementary

in senior high,,,we went to different school at last. but we kept in touch. we hung out together sometimes with our “group” (wow, we’re in the same group). but you were already a nice person that time. i started to mean it calling you my friend.

in college…with the crash that happened in our group, and N was getting married,,,we rarely hung out together again. but we’re still good friends. and then you started meeting this guy.

and now you guys married, i congrats you from the bottom of my heart

i don’t know why but i felt sad a bit, realizing how time had flown so fast…seemed just yesterday you were such an anoying little girl,,,now you are a wife of someone.

i wish you a long happy married, religious healthy family with nice kids,,not forget the good wealth. amin.

just one thing i ask from you: we’re still friends.

soooo HAPPY WEDDING!

ps: you looked nice with your blue wedding gown. and i’m glad you looked so happy.

i think it’s such an unwise action taken by the hospital
to sue prita for her freedom of speech
this case is very important for bloggers and any other people
who have taken advantages from the internet as
a place to share thoughts, to speak out their mind
to share informations about important things that the public needs to know about

if omni hospital wins the case,
our freedom of speech will be threatened,
in a great danger

i hope it won’t ever happen

i don’t know who the heck first started that “fake minimalism” spreading in indonesia

i call it fake minimalism because actually in my opinion, they’re not minimalism

which architecture i call fake minimalism? those architecture<s> that you see in many “ruko”<s>, modern houses,,,,the concrete and colored strips for decoration things…even calling it contemporer architecture doesn’t feel right

it feels barren, soul-less architecture, generic meaningless,,,,but unfortunately, that kind of style is the one in very high demand right now

i hate the reality i’m facing now: to design “in modern minimalism style”

ohh i’m so sick of it, but i can’t do anything about it

doing that is my only source of income

review

it’s a very common word for all architecture student. progress review, internal review… days before the review day, are crazily hectic…nights before the review day are sleepless nights… the review day: hope, pray, and present what needs to be presented…..exhausted, hufff T_T

to be reviewed

it’s not about the judgment of right or wrong….it’s about presenting ideas through sketches, architectural drawings, scorings, models, text, oral explanation, and so on

reviewer

i never thought i’d be a reviewer for any studio this soon, it’s overwhelming and amazing in the same time…but i tried to do my best as a reviewer. to review what ever need to be reviewed. and to help those who are reviewed to have an excelent final presentation to whomever clients they’re gonna have next week

dear friend,
i’m writing this to you because nowadays
i don’t know how to make you listen and understand,
not that i want you to understand me
but it’s for you to understand what’s really wrong
with YOU

i just wanna help you, my friend

so before i go any further,
i need you to sit still,
do not interrupt my words,
and read them in a full soberness and
open mind

has anyone ever told you what’s your real problem?
let me tell you now,
your real problem is YOU ARE NOT LIVING IN PRESENT REALITY
you’ve been living in the past, in certain time line which
have happened
you keep looking back, and stay there
and that’s why you cannot move on in this reality
you keep being outrun by anyone

everybody has his past, including you and i
past is part of everyone’s life
BUT do not forget where you are now
the reality you are facing NOW
the tic in the clock keep moving forward
and our lives as well

no matter how wonderful your live was,
it just has passed. done! you cannot bring those times
to this present time, because IT IS LIFE!
and no matter miserable your life now,
it is your REALITY, that like it or not,
you have to FACE IT.
because IT IS LIFE!

a song said “LIFE’S A BITCH!”
no one has ever said life is easy
but to make it sucks or wonderful,it’s always your choice.
in your very hands

and one more thing:
STOP asking the world to be as you wish, to understand you
you know what, that’s a big BULLSH**T!
that could happend within your own haven, your home
but the world out there is full bitches!!
stop being naive

no, STOP BEING CHILDISH. wake up!!

like it or not you have to grow up
peterpan cannot exist in this real world
and yes, growing up is suck!
but the option is only suck it or leave it…
and leaving it means you have no gratitude
for God has given you each second as a chance
to create a very wonderful life for you, your family
and the world
so the option left now is to SUCK IT
we, human, have to live ourlives no matter what,
until our time on this planet has stopped,
that’s our only option
that’s life

NO, stop arguing me!
because you know that’s useless

shut your mouth
open your eyes, heart, and mind

you know i care for you
and i really want to help you
but i’m so desperate because you don’t want to help yourself

so friend,
hope my letter will help you