Andrea & Marco's Excellent Adventure Revisited

Okay, so they've left Jakarta. It was kinda sad, because this last few weeks have been filled with plenty of new experiences for me too. I've written about their very first days arriving from Milan. The next day, they went to Cilantro at BNI Tower with the guys and girls from Jakarta office. And word has it that, after enjoying luxurious dinner, some of them went to stadium and introduce the Cardella brothers with Jakarta's dark side. I need to have their special permissions before i can write what happened later that night from them first. I can't join the occasion courtesy of a family wedding ceremony, so i took a raincheck and let my friends usher them from pubs to cafe's.

The next week they went to Singapore and do some shopping. I didn't know what hotel they spend the night in but they said it was a luxurious one since they were calling me from the bathroom, yuck gross ... They were impressed with Singapore's neat facilities which i think far more advanced than the ones in Italy. Much like other tourists they visit Sentosa Island, The Zoo, Orchard Road and spent some money in Mustafa.

From Singapore they fled to Bali and spent several days there doing what most Italians do in that paradise island... getting a body massage! Because they're a bit lazy and only wakes up when the sun had reached the zenith, they passed four days but managed to miss sunset in Tanah Lot, Puri Besakih, and many other must see activities. Something they will rue in the future. Next destination Lombok. From what i gathered from them Lombok is empty, much to their delight. It was so quiet and serene and they told me that they had to go back to Lombok some day.

I picked them up from Soekarno-Hatta airport and they proudly showed me like 700 pictures they took from the trip. They've become Japanese! Also a suitcase full of local crafts like pearls and headmasks which i think they get for quite a bargain. They seem to enjoy the trip even though they miss a lot of spots. Makes me proud of the beauty of my country. I asked whether they get to screw around and they replied to me with a big no, they've been behaving quite nice.

The next nights we went to several Indonesian restoran including Izzi Pizza where they could play critics to the claim by the diner about their food being 'The Real Italian Cuisine'. Probably because of the nitpicking Marco's got the stomach problem. And it happened in the worst place, CJ's executive club. 'Twas quite expensive to go inside and quite a hassle because of the tight security. We managed it. Andrea has been fraternizing real smoothly with several of the damn sexy chicks inside when Marco start complaining about the need for number two. Hillarious, these two brothers argue each other for a minute, they decided to get back to the hotel. Fine by me.

They visited Yogyakarta the next week and managed to tour for Borobudur and Prambanan. They enjoy it so much and got home with plenty of ideas to set up business of exporting crafts from Jogja and ask me to do some research about it. Intrigued by Indonesian culture we went to taman Mini Indonesia Indah and saw the vast and rich culture of Indonesian Archipelago. It's been so long since i went to the park my self. Shame that some of the facilities are ruined and spoilt. They wandered in the bird park quite happily, taking pictures after pictures and playing with some Kakaktua bird till the sunset over.

The last two days we went to Mangga Dua, Glodok, and Pasar Seni Ancol. They spend more than four hundreds of euro buying sets of traditional wall hanging and beautiful wooden statues.

The last night we went to dine in Tony Roma's where for the first time they ate pork in Indonesia. I still stick to my 'hopefully halal' chicken barbeque. During dinner they were asking me about taking them to some Thai Massage parlor. I didn't know any but promised to ask around. After asking permission from my wife and guarantee her that i won't mess around, we took a cab. The driver happens to know plenty of red district area. So he took us to this suspiciously creepy building inside the Mangga Besar area.

The taxi stopped and three hairy guys quickly ushered us to some glass aquarium. They mumble some words and voila, a bunch of provocatively dressed attractive gals came inside the glass and they asked us to choose which one. Oh My God... apparently the driver misunderstood our instruction. He thought that we were looking for Thailand prostitute. Fortunately the germo didn't make a big deal out of that mishap and let us go in one piece.

We laughed out loud in the cab for several minutes. So the Cardella brothers decided to go to Stadium instead. I've never been there before and quite excited of the prospect. Funnily they're the one who's showing me around in the Stadium. After about thirty minutes Marco started to feel funny. He whispered something to me and went where a bunch of almost nude girls were sitting. Marco hold one of the girl in the hand and I saw them doing some talking and go sneak about in one of the rooms.

We went home with Marco's big grin in his face, while Andrea a bit grumpy because he was trapped in a dillema of accompany me in the table or doing what Marco just did but had to impolitely leave me alone.

The next day, me and Ira accompanied them to the airport and had our goodbyes.

All in all tho' it was a good experience. I had a chance to pay back all their wonderful treatment while i stayed in Milan. I had me a chance to visit the nite side of Jakarta also and show them that Indonesian people are indeed peaceful and can be quite cool too. Glad they could acknowledged that by promising a come back soon.

Arrividerci my friends.

Impromptu Hair Cut

I just had me a haircut yesterday. My wife has repeatedly told me not to cut it, or cut it in some good barbershop not in some unknown Padang style hairdresser.

Only this time I was being stubborn, also because the place is near, so I went to this small and very grungy yet not necessarily hygiene barber instead.

I mean look at the ratio, if I go to some fancy one it would cost me more than Rp. 85.000,- (10 USD) ten times more expensive. (snigger: and people said that the women is more economical when it comes to money).

So I went on and told the man, I want a hair looks like Marco van Basten, I’s feeling a bit wild and want to surprise the missus. To be fair to the old man, he already warned me about it.

“Pak kalo ini dipendekin akan berdiri soalnya rambut bapak beda sama Van Basten, dia tebal dan rapat jaraknya,” with his thick Padang accent.

In short he said that, because my hair type is different, that particular style would make my hair looks like I've just been electrocuted. Once again I was being stubborn, I politely said to him, never mind that good sir and please just cut my hair like the former Milan superstar.

So he did it. I might and should have heard some one laughing in the old man's mind.

I liked the cut though unfortunately my wife doesn’t. She protested like never before, and even suggest that it’s better if I go bald all the way. Of course I failed to comply, I mean, what an obtuse suggestion.

Any how she always show contempt whenever I shave the beard and moustache, makes me look too young she said. She likes the rugged and manly style perhaps. That’s why Viggo Mortensen is her favorite actor and not Keanu.

So now whenever I go near her, she always give me that peculiar and patronizing look. Ah, granted I will be miserable for the next three weeks. Long enough until I got my hair back to the way she likes it.

With this hair tho’ I feel more comfortable. It reminds me when I was in high school with three years of crew cut. None of that hair bugging my eyes and gone all awry if the wind blows a bit hard.

It’s also cost effective with the shampoo. I know it's hardly like Mr. Reeves in Speed, but hey it's not too shabby either.

My Long Lost Blog

Geez louise, this is eerie... The recent fever of posting journals in friendster and multiply reminds me of this long lost and forgotten blogspot. hm ... i have to admit do not have the habit and patience to write journals regularly like some other so don't hold your breath waiting for a new post any time soon after this.

Anywho, let me contemplate more about this journal thing. it's kinda embarrassing having this blank archive all over.

There's a lot been going on after the last post and this post. I have been married, i have lost the old job, find a new job, been to Italy, French, and some other places i've just been able to dreamt on all those years, and many others. There's been a wtc collapse, there's been a war, infact two wars but not as big as the world war. Indonesia had change leadership twice after gus dur to mega and now perhaps sby. Manchester united has been the premier champions and lost it the following year to the arse . Hm i'll continue if i can think of any.

For now i'll just leave you at that.