WHAT'S NEW IN JAKARTA?

On March 24th, The President of Indonesia, Mr. Joko Widodo, inaugurated the official operational of MRT Jakarta. This new mode of transport soon became commuter's favorite. Netizen says, it's "instagrammable" spot besides Pedestrian Bridge of Sudirman (JPO Sudirman).

The MRT Jakarta railway covers approximately 10 km of elevated section and around 6 km of underground section with total 13 stations (7 elevated stations and 6 underground stations). It operates from the early morning until midnight with 5 minutes headway.

Phase 1 of MRT Jakarta is already done, connecting from Lebak Bulus to Bundaran HI and will be continued with Phase 2 connecting from Bundaran HI to Jakarta Kota. The whole project is planned to be extended with Phase 3.

MRT Jakarta was commercially opened on April 1st with 50% discount rate. Full charge was implemented started from May 13th. The fare is cheap enough, only increasing IDR 1,000.- every station passed. If you start your trip from Lebak Bulus to the nearest station (Fatmawati) cost IDR 4,000.- and will be IDR 5,000.- only if you stop at the second nearest station (Cipete Raya) and so on. And if you have a full trip from Lebak Bulus to the last station (Bundaran HI) it will cost IDR 14,000.- (check https://www.jakartamrt.co.id/tarif-mrt-jakarta/)

So, start using public transportation now! More efficient, less pollution.

SPENDING YOUR LAST DAY OF 2018 IN MEDAN, WHY NOT?

Have you planned your year end holiday?

Why not going to Medan?

Kualanamu International Airport will welcome you with open arms. Yes, that's right! Kualanamu is one of the main access to enter Medan. This is one of the busiest airport in Indonesia. Kualanamu replaced previous airport, Polonia, for flights and services.
Medan has Port of Belawan if you travel by sea.

Alright, Medan is the capital of North Sumatera province. We believe that Medan is the biggest city in Sumatera. So, this city basically is business city, it's located close to Strait of Malacca afterall. Medan's citizen is multicultural and that makes this city so exciting.

For those who haven't decided yet where to spend the last day of 2018, Medan could be the answer!

Want to look for some kind of "instagrammable" spots? Medan has a lot of them.

For muslim traveler, The Great Mosque of Medan (Masjid Raya Al Mashun) should be the first place to visit. You can take some pictures of it, just find some spots to gain good angle. This mosque is very accessible since its location near downtown. There is Sri Deli Park near the mosque.

Maimun Palace! It is the most famous landmark in Medan. It used to be a Sultan's palace. Now, it's a museum. This place should be visited if you are eager to step on cultural tourism. Need another instagrammable historical spot? You can go to Old City Hall also.

After wandering around the city for hours, you'll be hungry. Luckily, Medan has so many culinary destination. You can to go to Medan Merdeka Walk, across the Old City Hall. You can take a breath for a while at Lapangan Merdeka as well. For alternative, you can move on to Halat Street to enjoy another culinary experience. You won't be starving in Medan, I guarantee!

So, get prepared to book a trip to this amazing city.

WHAT MAKES KARTINI BEACH SO SPECIAL?

If you ever ask: "Where in the world is a beach with its notable giant turtle statue located?"

Jepara is the answer.

If you ever ask: "Where is the famous fisherman's village in the north of Central Java located?"

Jepara is the answer, too.

Wow, every question lead to "Jepara".

Jepara is the north coast of Java. Yes, it's located in the province of Central Java, Indonesia. It's not too far from Semarang.

Jepara is well known for its wood carving especially for its wooden furniture, birthplace of Kartini, fisherman's village in the coastal area, and Kartini beach, of course.

So, what makes Kartini Beach so special?

First, the beach is quite easy to reach from the downtown.

Second, the attraction of the traditional fishing boats around the beach. FYI, the beach is the neighbour of the fisherman's village. It's a good combination.

 

And don't forget the fact that Kartini Beach is the gate to National marine park of Karimunjawa and Pangjang Island. It's affordable if you want to spend your holiday there.

Last, the view is undoubtedly beautiful.

It takes no more than IDR 10,000 to enter the site and just enjoy all you can enjoy in Kartini Beach. 

I think you'll need to prepare good camera to take some picture.

See you next post....

FROM FREE TO THE EXPENSIVE ONE IN JAKARTA

Like something free?

Want something cheap?

Want to try the expensive one?

Jakarta provides all...

Numerous top recommended destinations are easy to find.

Need educational site? historical site? Or refreshment in an amusement park? You can find them all...

One of the most well-known "Culture-based" recreational park is Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII). It's located in East Jakarta. It's pretty cheap, IDR 20,000 only to enter the park and then you can enjoy whole Indonesia culture in a single place.

You can just take a walk around here or go round by Bicycle. It's quite exciting to have a sightseeing or take a picture on Indonesian traditional house.

Here, we recommend you to visit IMAX Theater "Keong Emas", Cable cars, Bird park, PP IPTEK (Science and Technology Display Center), some Traditional Pavilion of Indonesian Provinces .
One day is not enough to spend your time here, remember that!

Let's move on to historical site; Kota Tua (Old Town) Jakarta! All history will be revealed here through paintings, miniatures, statues, inscriptions, etc...

Enjoying Kota Tua Jakarta is free. The Old Town is like a very big square that will bring you back to year of 1527, when Fatahillah attacked Portuguese, then Sunda Kelapa (the Origin of Jakarta)

was renamed Jayakarta.

There are some good spots to enjoy like Batavia Cafe or Fatahillah Museum. The museum ticket costs about IDR 5,000. I think it's too cheap regardless the building was built in Dutch colonization era.

Now, let me take you to the best and the greatest amusement park in Indonesia (IMHO), Fantasy World or Dunia Fantasi (DUFAN) Ancol. To feel the sensation of the entire rides and attractions here, I guess it will take days!

source: halobabeh.com

DUFAN is actually located in an integrated area calledAncol Dreamland (Taman Impian Jaya Ancol). Ancol is the largest integrated Amusement Park in South East Asia (Wikipedia said). You've got to pay IDR 25,000 first to enter the dreamland, till drop!

DUFAN is a part of Ancol Dreamland, you'll find Ocean Dream Samudra, Atlantis Water Adventure, Ecopark, Putri Duyung Cottage, some international festival at the beach, and Sea World of course.

Sea World, would be one of the best site in Ancol (after DUFAN). It's a marine giant aquarium, the biggest in Indonesia. There are some aquariums here; shark aquarium, Deep sea aquarium, Turtle Aquarium, "Touch pool", and the giant tank that we can walk through it! Attractions are held regularly, kids usually like them.

There are three kinds of ticket price:
IDR 115,000 (weekend/ holidays) for Sea World only.
IDR 350,000 (weekend/ holidays) for Sea World and DUFAN bundling.
IDR 200,000 (weekend/ holidays) for Sea World and Gelanggang Samudera Bundling.
And don't forget to buy the souvenir.

Jakarta has more than those. You'll be "super duper" fantastic if you can visit them all in only one day, I DARE YOU!!! Can't wait any longer to visit them? Get your bag ready, because several modes of transport can take you there very easily.

DON'T TRY NASI GANDUL IF YOU DON'T WANT TO GET ADDICTED

The title may sound ridiculous. The only way to prove it, is to try! Once you try Nasi Gandul, you will understand.

First, let me introduce you to Pati, the place where my father was born. Pati is a regency in the northern part of Jawa Tengah Province. Pati shares border with Java sea in the north and other regencies such as Rembang, Kudus, Jepara, etc.

Nasi Gandul is considered as a typical food of Pati. It is served on a plate covered by banana leaf. The word "gandul" means carrying. That's right, Nasi Gandul was named after its history, where people sold Nasi Gandul by carrying it, walked from one village to another village.

In some traditional places, you won't see any spoon to enjoy Nasi Gandul. you'll use "Suru" instead of spoon or fork. Suru's made of banana leaf, too. But don't worry, the vendors will always provide the spoon or fork in case you can't use Suru. Nasi Gandul consists of Rice (of course), gravy, a slice of meat, you can add an egg or soybean if you like.

One of the most well-known Nasi Gandul in this town is Nasi Gandul "Bu Mira", located only 2 kilometers southward from Joyo Kusumo Stadium. Trust me, once you put your first "Suru" into your mouth, you'll get addicted.

2016 In Review

January
6 Star Wars surpassed Avatar (North America only).

10 David Bowie died at the age of 69.
14 Alan Rickman a.k.a. Severus Snape died.

February
28 1 Leonardo Di Caprio finally won an Oscar!!!

March
13 Ankara Bombing killed 37 people.
21 Obama visited Cuba as the first president to visit in nearly century.
24 Johan Cruijff died of cancer at the age of 68.

June
3   Muhammad Ali died at the age of 74.

23 Brexit Referendum in which 52% of votes preferred to leave the EU.

July
15 A coup d'etat was attempted in Turkey but finally failed. The government of Turkey blamed the coup on Fethulah Gulen, one of well-known Turkey's politician.

October
13 King Bhumibol Adulyadej passed away.

November
4 Jakarta protest: Basuki Tjahaja Purnama considered having insulted Holy Quran.

8 Donald Trump elected as US president.


SPORTS
January
31 Djokovic beat Murray and Kerber beat Williams to win Australian Open.

March
8-13 All England Super Series Premier was held in Birmingham. Lin Dan and Nozomi Okuhara took the first place of Men's Singles and Women's Single respectively. Russia and Japan were the champion of Men's Doubles and Women's Doubles respectively while Indonesian's Paveen and Debby won Mixed Doubles.

April
25 Juventus won consecutive fifth Serie A after Napoli loss.

May
2  Leicester won Premier League after Chelsea held Tottenham at Stamford Bridge.

28 Real Madrid grabbed the 11th UEFA Champions League title after defeating Atletico Madrid in a penalty shootout on second All Madrid Final.

June
10 Portugal grabbed its first title of Euro after beating France 1-0 (a.e.t.)

27 Chile won Copa America once again after defeating Argentina (again)
19 Cleveland Cavaliers defeated Golden State Warriors 4-3 in 2016 NBA Finals.

August
5 Summer Olympics was held in Rio De Janeiro from August 5th to August 21st. USA collected     most gold medal, while Great Britain surpassed China this year.

November
So many surprises happened in F1 2016 season: Verstappen as the youngest ever winner (Spanish GP) and the retirement of the champion of this year; Nico Rosberg! Rosberg also followed his father's success in 1982.

Source: Miscellaneous

2015 In Review

Thank god, it is 2016! No need to chit-chat, let's get the 2015 reviewed!

surce: Telegraph.co.uk

It's too bad to know that Syrian civil war and the refugee crisis is still ongoing. It's sad to hear that they were evicted from their own homeland. Well, the Yemeni Civil War also gave contribution to the crisis. For god's sake, 2015 was a terrorist year.

The aviation world was in deep grief, too. Two airlines incident means 2015 wasn't the good year, for sure.

May peace be upon us this year. Aamiin.

January - Charlie Hebdo shooting in France. It was shocking as the shooters killed 11 people.

February - Taiwanese TransAsia GE 235 crashed in Taipei killing 43 people on board. You can watch the footage here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSbQ3TyaXvc

March - Lee Kuan Yiew, the first Prime Minister of Singapore, the true Singapore hero, died at the age of 91.

source: channelnewsasia.com

March - Germanwings Flight 9525, a low-cost carrier owned by Lufthansa, crashed in Alps French. 

The news was really shocking since I learnt that the crash was caused by the co-pilot's suicidal tendency.

April - Nepal Earthquake killed over 9000 people. The earthquake caused an avalanches on Mount Everest and devastated some UNESCO World Heritage sites.

source: ibtimes.co.uk

June - Government Debt Crisis lead Greece to bail out referendum. The only condition to describe this bailout condition is, the day when you can't withdraw your money though you have money in bulk.

September - Chile Earthquake caused 13 people died.

November - Terrorist attacked Paris which caused 130 people killed. The attacked was so horrible, it occured when France football team beat Germany 2-0.

December - The Fed finally raised the interest rate for the first time since 2008 financial crisis.

December - Massive fire broke out at Dubai Address Hotel right before new years eve.

source: reuters.com

April - 60th Asia-Africa Conference was held for five days (21-25) with 109 Asian and African countries, 16 observer countries and 25 international organizations as delegations.

June - C-130 Hercules aircraft Crashed somewhere near a residence in Medan. All people on board and 22 people on ground got killed. I can't just imagine it; I lie in my bed when suddenly an aircraft crashed my house.

June - INA's Forest Fire. For over four months the haze had polluted several countries in ASEAN, including Brunei, Indonesia (Sumatra and Kalimantan), Malaysia, Singapore, southern Thailand, and Vietnam, Cambodia and the Philippines.

December - Setya Novanto resigned as House of Representatives (DPR) speaker due to a breach

of the House Ethics Code related to Freeport scandal.

source: aws-dist.brta.in

#lovewins.... (ah, forget it!)

SPORT

FIFA Corruption case was booming in 2015 when FBI arrested seven FIFA Officials in a hotel in Zurich. 

Chen Long won the All England Super Series after defeating Jan O Jorgensen in Men's Single while 

Carolina Marin won her first superseries in Women's Single.

Mayweather vs Pacquaio ("the Fight of the Century") at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas. Mayweather won this contest.

source: en.wikipedia.org

Chelsea claimed their victory over Tottenham on Capital One Cup. Chelsea completed their 2014/2015 season after sealing Premier League title.

source: dailymail.uk

Arsenal won FA Cup after destroying Aston Villa 4-0.

Community Shield: Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea. In this match, Petr Cech made his competitive debut.

Bayern Munich won 2014/2015 Bundesliga

Wolfsburg won DFB pokal for the first time after beating Borussia Dortmund.

Wolfsburg won German Super Cup on penalty shoot-out against Bayern Munich.

Barcelona won 2014/2015 La Liga, Copa Del Rey, UEFA Champions League (won 3-1 against Juventus), and Fifa Club World Cup. What he hell? What a great team!

source: sports.yahoo.com

Juventus won 2014/2015 Serie A & Coppa Italia after defeating Lazio.

PSV Eindhoven won Eredivisie 2014/2015.

Chile sealed  COPA AMERICA 2015 after defeating Argentina.

source: ca2015.com

African Nation Cup: Ivory Coast won penalty shoot-out against Ghana

Asia Cup 2015 final: Australia vs South Korea. Australia won the match 2-1 and secured the title for the first time.

USA won FIFA Women's World Cup 2015 by devastating Japan 5-2.

source: globalnews.ca

International Champions Cup took place in three different countries with the result, PSG won their first title (USA venue) and Real Madrid won their third title (Australia and China venue).

SEA GAMES 2015 was held in Singapore. Thailand was the overall champions and the host successfully reached the second position (best performance).

Jorge Lorenzo won MOTO GP Series 2015 with only five points gap.

source: foxsports.com