Transit in Beijing 2012

Summer holiday has already coming. I was spending 4 months to study Mandarin in Nanjing, China. My family asked me to go home to Indonesia. I do miss my family too, the way I fight with my brother and sister, the way my mum angry with me because I just sit behind the computer all TV all day long (hehe.. ) but, more than that I also want to travel around China.. Well, after long time of thought I decide to go home. But, I also want to travel before I go home (evil smile... :) ) so I did transit first to Tianjin and Beijing before Indonesia.

I have two reason for my Mum, why i should take a flight from Beijing. First is the cheaper flight ticket from Beijing compare to Nanjing and second I  also can buy cheaper souvenir in Beijing

Above is the trem in Qianmen, Shopping at Wangfujing also you can see the  special food you can find  -a scorpion satay, and in the midde is the shop at Hutong Area. 

Had a great time with my friend, Alex . He took me to Beijing  University and take a tour  there.  

I heard a beautiful sound from kind of flute but a lil bit different because it's a chinese traditional instrument. The teacher is Chinese but the student is a foreigner.

Beijing University is a famous university in Beijing also China, Beside Tsing Hua University. I like the atmosphere here, very green and cool. There are so many trees there. The building also has a classic architecture felt like walking inside the garden. 

For your tips: Right now some universities in Beijing like Tsing Hua and Beijing University they didn't allow people to pay a visit beside on saturday and sunday, or you can do like me and my friend, he call his friend first -student of beijing university- to help us passed through the security guard.

Superb Amazing Race South East Asia

Booked promo ticket 6 months in advance then it's time for me to travel all the way from Jakarta to Bangkok, Phuket, KL, and Singapore. Well, this journey has changed my way of thinking. It's surely unforgettable.

What a good deal, buy 3 tickets jakarta-Bangkok, phuket-kuala lumpur, singapore-jakarta all only for less than $100. my budget trip for 10 days. it's like amazing race but it's different with the other amazing race so I called it superb amazing race. 

First destination is Bangkok

This is not my first time to visit Bangkok, actually, but this is the first time to visit Bangkok with backpacking. I feel free to go anywhere I want to go and met lots of friends in Bangkok. Just some information for you, do you know that Bangkok is not a real name for the city. Bangkok just used for the foreigners to make it easy to remember and say. You won't buy a ticket and you have to say like 170 characters as your destination, will you? so, the full name for Bangkok is 

Krungthepmahanakhon Amornrattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilokphop Noppharat Ratchathaniburirom Udomratchaniwetmahasathan Amornphiman Awa-tarnsatthit Sakkathattiyawitsanukamprasit
(กรุงเทพมหานคร อมรรัตรโกสินทร์ มหินทรายุธยา มหาดิลกภพ นพรัตนราชธานีบูรีรมย์ อุดมราชนิเวศน์มหาสถาน อมรพิมานอวตารสถิต สักกะทัตติยวิษณุกรรมประสิทธิ์)

the translation is more or less about the history of thecity; if you have no idea about the words above, here's the translation for you 

The Capital City of Angles.  The Residence of The Emerald Buddha, The Great City of Impregnable, The Gracefulness of the city is steadfast and thriving, The Grand Capital which is abundant with The Nine Noble Gems, it is a Pleasant Capital, The City is abounding with the enormous Royal Palaces that resembles as the heavenly abode where reigns the reincarnated God, Home of the Gods Incarnate, which was Erected by Vishnu at Indra’s Behest.

nteresting isn't it? when I was there I also visit the palace in the city center 

city view of Bangkok

 There are so many Tuk Tuk, the 3 tires mass transport. Just be careful for the traveler sometime they scam you.

  

public transport in Bangkok, some of the buses are free :). 

Floating market

Floating residence

Floating Residence

my boyfriend and my baby^^... people think that I'm crazy because I think tiger is handsome. I'm fallin for them.They are totally adorable... !!

on my way to Tiger temple after floating market

 Second destination: Krabi
Krabi located in Southern part of Thailand. Near from Phuket and Phi Phi Island. If you are not a big fan of night club this is the spot that you have to go to. You can feel peaceful here. not so many population hereand I swear you won't regret the scenery here. the cliff and stone and beache.

another activity in Krabi is Kayaking. look I'm going tanning oh noooo...

Third destination: To malaysia

The only picture i take in Malaysia, not so that interested, uppss... 

Fourth destination Singapore

Small county but so well organized. Being there just like at other places. Singapore more developed than other country in South East Asia.

The Great China: Wuxi

The Great China, Wuxi

Wuxi or 无锡, is a name of city in Jiangsu Province, China. From city where I live, Nanjing, it only took more or less 1 hour by speed train G-Train and 2 hour by slow train or K-train. 


Like other places in China Wuxi also has their own history. 


3 days at Wuxi seems not enough, many places I missed to visit. On the regards of my first spring, I've never feel what exactly spring is before, I want to see the flower blossom, I went to visit Cherry blossom garden and sight seeing in the Wuxi downtown.



What a beautiful cherry blossom...

Nanjing Attraction Part 1

A city that I go for study for almost 4 months, has impressed  me on it's own way. Different with the place I come from. Nanjing has 4 seasons, spring and autumn not really significant though due to the short period but we can still count it. Nanjing renowned by it's ultra hot summer just like the oven or 火锅 （huoguo:  hot pot) .

However, Let's look at a good point what Nanjing has and we can feel more blessed and appreciate what has been created by The almighty God who's been created it wonderfully.

This time, I will introduce the famous Lake in Nanjing, that is Xuan Wu Hu. Located in the center of the city make it so easy to get there. 

Xuanwu Lake in the spirng time...

This lake quite huge that can be seen from many sides, includes from Nanjing Train Station, therefore in the Nanjing train station side we can see many people sits down waiting for the train or waiting to pick up someone.

many activities can be done by the lake, for example play with the bubble and play kites.

Mono Chrome World #2 Portrait

When I'm making Monochrome or gray scale pictures, I think most of the general tips on how to compose or frame a good shot apply just as well to mono chrome photography as they do when I'm shooting in colour.- however the main obvious difference is that I'm unable to use colour to lead the eye into or around my shot. This means I need to train myself to look at shapes, tones and textures in my frame as points of interest. Pay particularly to shadows and highlights it's also important. 

In this photos, I want to try to express the people's expression

(A) children smile
-in Liukang Loe Island near Tanjung Bira South Sulawesi

Mono Chrome World #1 Landscape

Recently I fell in love with mono chrome photographs. Mono chrome or black and white photographs look good in every occasions and circumstances.

Monochrome photographs give strong emphasize on the message of every shoot. They also bring sensitive and explore the depth emotion on every pictures.

Some pictures that bold, give me dramatic and striking impact such as on these photo

(A) Monks and the Tiger

Travelling Toraja

Toraja traditional houses named Tongkonan. It has a unique shape of the roof. Tongkonan is the house that old local people stay. it paired with the rice barns. The house facing to the north and the rice barn facing to the south. Another fact about tongkonan is it was built without any nails. The wood carved until it could fit each other and hold the house so it can stand still. 

My Dream is My Responsibility

Having resigned from my previous job in one of Japanese automotive trading company, now I have time to think for what i would be in the future. The darkest time in my previous job, being underestimated, treated unfairly, exploited beyond my responsibility, and not supportive partner will be buried somewhere far in outer space. now i reborn with the better me. Since I love to learn especially language I will study hard to learn mandarin then I hope i can also speak Japan, Korean, and French also Arabian. In 5 year later, I will be a better woman, work in reputable company, hopefully I can work overseas, getting scholarship to gain MBA,  travelling a lot, besides I also will started my own business, about traveling, and my dream since I was in high school to build a woman house.

Lost Traveler-let destiny lead your way

Tonight I just come home so late. It's 10.30 pm now. My flat  is in a suburb far from the center. NO, there's no train longer operated. well, yes i can take taxi but it's not a cheap transport. I'm a little bit meticulous bout the money. I'm spending so much. Then, i'll try to take a bus. What bus?? do not have any idea to be honest. All i know is just Transjakarta but in this time it's hard to get Transjakarta, they go back to their pool already. So, I'll just do the lost travelers game. Stand on the side of the street. See what's the Bus coming. Ask the destination if it's somewhere to the same direction with what I want to go to. I just hop in to the bus. Simple, yes??

And the Journey begin...

24/7 Jakarta

Jakarta is the city that never sleep. There are so many place that open for 24 hours, you name it such as groceries, gasoline station, pharmacy, and so forth. Besides, there are also places that happening at night such as Karaoke and market.

This is the first time i join the writers club. I have to write something about the idea of the 24/7 in Jakarta from the customer point of view. The first thing come to my mind is the early market in Central Jakarta that specially sell pastries and cookies. I went there with my 2 guests. One is the guest that cancel her flight to stay with me until weekend, and the other one my guest that has ever been my host in Singapore. So, here's what i just wrote in the meeting nothing more I add or I take out.

Malela The Hidden Waterfall

One day in the afternoon, I drove my self from Bandung, my hometown to Jakarta. I don't know what on my mind was. But, I decided to see the legend waterfall just on a snap. Named was Curug, Sundanese word mean waterfall, Malela. Many of my friends talked about this beautiful waterfall. Perhaps, it's a little bit exaggerated but they called this waterfall as a miniature of Niagara waterfall.

Job or jobless

Having graduate from a baby born university, unintentionally major study, and early leaving campus, made my path not so organize. Ironically, i learn management but my life itself poorly managed. I get my bachelor degree at 20 years old. I have a not so called bad grade, i graduate with GPA 3.9 scale 1 to 4 with lots of support from my lecturer, thanks to them. But then,  I don't know what to do to myself. Due to my cheap and unstable adolescence condition or in Indonesian popular word known as Ababil stage. I just applied to companies unconsciously. I'm going to study mandarin in China meanwhile I wait for the academic year in China I tried to apply a job also I could get working experience by that. it's useful for my CV and Scholarship requirement, some scholarship program has a minimum working experience requirement such as for study MBA.

Dieng, Abode of the Gods...

Land above the sky
Dieng pleteau located in Central Java, the nearest station is Wonosobo, with the height 2093 above the sea level. The weather is so cold. The fog come down at 10 am. At night i couldn't sleep even i put on jackets, blankets, 2 socks it's not enough. But that small obstacle won't let you down because what you see is the magnificent scenery with the caldera, active volcano some are still dangerous producing poisonous smoke, and this is the best part and I want it so bad that is the golden sun rise.  I don't care about the freezing weather that i had to wake up so early and climb up to the top of the hill to see the golden sun rise.

Welcoming Sign to Dieng Plateau, same as you have to take a picture with petronas in Malaysia, Eiffel in Paris, or Merlion in Singapore, you have to take a picture with the welcome gate to Dieng Plateau... 

I arrived at Dieng at 10 am. I still have time to explore Dieng and take half day tour to see Hindus Temple, Sikidang Crater, and Green Lake. 

The Hindus Temple Complex 

The beautiful scenery, I love the Sky so clear makes me want to swim on it 

Sikidang Crater, still active but not producing poision... I'm alive

Play in the plantation, I found vegetation that only grow in the highland it's rare and unique

Green Lake, I love the scenery behind like a backdrop and I love the reflection

Then, Let's call it a day, it's time to save our energy for tomorrow catch the sun rise...

This is the place where I stay in Dieng, it's recommended by Lonely Planet 
on the next day, I wake up at 5 then start my journey to catch the sunrise...

The local guide from Dieng took me to the place where I can see sun rise so beautiful here is the picture I took when I saw the sunrise. From the moment I can't breath it's just so marvelous. The Golden colour so perfectly blend with the dawn also I can see the cloud cover the ground like a blanket that give you warm when you are sleeping also I can see the border of the sea from the far. It's unbelievable moment of truth. 

After the moment of sun rise over, it's just took a few minute when the sun comes up. Then we have another heavy journey to see the Sikarim Waterfall. Some of my friends who have been visited the site said that it's not so that worth it compare to the effort to reach the waterfall. But, we just went down there anyway, ignore what they were saying... 

First, They were right the path we have to choose was killing so long and steep and far far far away... I even laid in the middle of the road because my leg like want to explode... 

Felt so tired then i laid in the middle of the road

I still can smile for another picture tough :D

Second, They were wrong the waterfall was so awesome. I called it Paradiso... It's so worth it with your effort.

Before you came back home, you can have a little rest in the open air hot spring water and it's free located in the forest. it feel so comfortable to put your leg after climb up to the hill to see the sun rise and down to waterfall on the way  back from waterfall. 

Dieng, I love your magic spelling that made me feel like I'm an angel an play in Heaven....