Mendadak Dubai

Dubai city view

Something great sometimes happens when you least expect it. Just a month ago I thought I ruined my career by going here and there, from one engineering company to another, like a gazelle running around in savanna without purpose or sense of direction (drama queen alert!). This weekend, I arrived in Dubai for work. What a lucky shot.

Seriously though, going outside the country was not on my 2018 New Year resolution. I was just hoping for new opportunity in my new company. Thus, I (sadly) rejected my friend’s invitation to visit Thailand two months ago because I thought that ‘This year I will concentrate on my job and my boyfriend’. Surprisingly, God prepared me to do both and more.

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Gion, The Heart of Kyoto

Tuesday, 10 October 2017

That day was the day I had been waiting for. Finally I got to visit Gion and actually stayed in ryokan, a traditional kinda house in Japan. This preserved area was as I imagined from geisha movies I watched so many times. Refer to Japan Guide, Gion is Kyoto’s most famous geisha district, located around Shijo Avenue between Yasaka-jinja Shrine in the East and the Kamo-gawa River in the West. This place is filled with shops, restaurants and ochaya (teahouses) where geiko and maiko entertain.

Gion narrow street

Kado Ulangtahun Cowok

Kadang suka bingung ngga sih mikirin mau ngasih apa ke cowok pas dia ulangtahun? Cowok sebenarnya gampang dikadoin karena barang-barang mereka kan itu-itu aja. Hahaha.. Beberapa hal yang musti kita tau sebelum ngasih kado yang tepat adalah hobi, ukuran baju/sepatu daaan.. budget kita sih. Kalo cinta mati ngga ketulungan, budget kadang ngga penting. LOL.

Oh ya, satu hal lagi. Semakin simple dan kalem warna atau design barangnya semakin bagus. Kecuali kita tau banget dia suka barang-barang berprintil-printilan ribet, atau berwarna-warni gonjreng atau berukir-ukiran rumit. Jadi keep in mind, simplicity to the maximum level tanpa mengorbankan kualitas. Beberapa tempat belanja juga aku sebutkan bukan karena sponsor, tapi memang gampang disamperin. Ntah kenapa masih lebih suka datang ke storenya langsung daripada beli online. Ngga mau ngambil resiko. Hehe.

Take note ya list di bawah ini extra mainstream dan berdasarkan selera penulis, selera fashion dan selera cowok tipikal manly yang ngga aneh-aneh. Kenapa mainstream? Karena gampang didapat dan terbukti pasti kepake. Ya kalo lagi kreatif, bisa juga sih ngado liburan ke Old Trafford. Cuma sayang aja budgetnya. Mending ke Emirates kan lebih megah. Ekekekee..

Movies I Can’t Live Without

If there is something I genuinely love to do, the answer is always watching movies. Movies have been affecting my life entirely, the way I see people, the way I face my daily life, even the way I behave.

Beberapa film yang aku bisa tonton ribuan kali tanpa bosan dan yang membentuk diriku seperti sekarang. Sebenernya kalo dilist ngga bakalan muat juga ini post. Notable mentions are The Lord of the Rings, The Blind Side, Easy A, Young Victoria, Shawshank Redemption, The Sixth Sense, V for Vendetta, The Intouchables, Kingdom of Heaven, Pan’s Labyrinth, Children of Heaven, Signs, Amelie and so many others.

Ini lima besarnya. Sampai sejauh ini. (Semoga di masa datang lebih banyak lagi).

STAR WARS

Ngga perlu dipertanyakan lagi kenapa aku suka franchise Star Wars. Kayanya semua yang terbaik dari film science fiction ada di film ini. Dunia luar angkasa yang sangat well-constructed dan detail.

Fushimi Inari-taisha and Arashiyama

Hi everybody, how’s life?

Mine? Crashing to the ground. Hard. Hahaha.. I can only laugh at my stupidity and blind heart. Beyond bonker. Also, Alexis is now MU player. As if I can’t loathe MU any further. Aaargh.. I am full of anger right now.

But enough about it. I am here to continue writing about my traveling chapter, still, the latest trip, Japan.

Monday, 9 October 2017

Monday morning in Kyoto was as quite as it could be. I went out of hotel at around 6 am to catch bus. The streets were empty, though several stores had already opened. My favorite was a flower shop just around the corner with Halloween decorations. What a dream to have one in a nice neighborhood.

Feeling super thrilled, I put on my skirt and tried to look a bit edgy for the day. I, then, rushed to Kyoto Station, lined up for the bus to a Shinto shrine, Fushimi Inari-taisha. There were so many options to go to this place, the other one beside taking bus was using train, stop by Inari station. Since, I am a fan of sight seeing, I decided to use bus instead.

Here’s the thing. I thought it was a brilliant idea to go to the most visited tourist spot in Kyoto,

End of Year Contemplation

Indy Bintaro Office Park Christmas Festive Decorations

Hei, December!

Sehari setelah Christmas day dan aku masih ngerasa hangover sama makanan-makanan kemarin waktu ngumpul sama keluarga. And I bet there’s more to come. Welcome back, chubby cheek!

Akhir tahun gini baiknya ngomongin apa ya, udah bosan posting tentang liburan. Diterusin post lain kalo lagi mood. Oh, have I mentioned that I bought 2 meters high Christmas tree and dragged them along to Jogjakarta??

Worth the effort.

The 2 meters high Christmas tree

Anyway.

I have an announcement to make. So, after a year working in office heaven ahaha.. Indy Bintaro Office Park, Tripatra. Aku memutuskan buat

Osaka Castle, Origami and Ramen

Magnificent Osaka Castle

November. Fiuh!

Hahaha ngos-ngosan ngelewatin bulan ini. Bukannya ngga oke sih, cuma susah payah aja dikerjaan dan perasaan. Tsah. Ngga jelas. Hahaha.. Begitulah alasannya kenapa seri postingan Jepang ketunda. Dan aku lagi bosan pake bahasa Inggris. Kebanyakan baca code and standard sama diskusi pake bahasa bule sama client.

Jadi, buat mas bos (mas karena ternyata dia masih muda banget) yang suka kepo baca blogku, sori ya bos, kali ini kamu ngga akan ngerti aku ngomong apa tentang negara kamu, Jepang. LOL.

Minggu, 8 Oktober 2017

Kastil Osaka

Habis keliling Nara, makan dorayaki sama dango, digigit-gigitin rusa dan baju penuh lelehan jigong mereka (ewww!), aku lanjutin ke Osaka naik kereta. Sekalian sih sebelum balik ke Kyoto. Karena Nara-Osaka-Kyoto semacam segitiga emas area Kanshai. Sayang kalo ngga disempetin liat-liat Osaka. Yang mainstream aja karena waktu ngga banyak. Jadilah mampir ke Osaka Castle.

O Deer O Deer: Nara Park

Shika-senbei (the deer cracker)

Sunday, October 8th 2017

Just an hour train ride from Kyoto Station, Nara was my next destination. I heard about an astonishing park and the Shika deer who live there since forever. Haha.. would not miss an opportunity to feed the deer with my own hands. Sometimes I feel like, I am happier bonding with animal rather than with human. LOL.

Using Kansai Thru Pass Card, Nara Park area was so easy to reach. There was an express train from Kyoto Station to Kintestu-Nara Station where the park was just minutes away on foot.

Toji Temple of Kyoto

The Five-Story Pagoda

Saturday, October 7th 2017

After a pleasant flight with Garuda Indonesia from Jakarta-Bali-Osaka, witnessed breathtaking sunrise over East China Sea and continued with Haruka Express Train to downtown Kyoto, I finally arrived in Toji, Minami-ku of Kyoto. A small town in Kyoto suburb famous for its 5-story pagoda.

The weather was a bit chilly. So, I put on my furry brown jacket and walked a bit fast to beat the cold. It was just around the corner from my hostel. In fact, I could see the pagoda’s top from the hostel’s third floor.

A Week in Japan

Maruyama Park, Gion

Dear October,

Thank you for being awesome. Feeling so grateful.

I just came back from my holiday to Japan (Osaka-Kyoto-Nara-Tokyo-Fujikawaguchiko) within 8 days. Here’s my 10-highlights during the vacation.

1. Feeding Sika deer in Nara Park
2. Tasted matcha ice cream in Fushimi Inari-taisha
3. Donning autumn kimono in Gion
4. Stayed at Ryokan-type hotel in Kyoto
5. Tried Kobe beef in local booth
6. Traveled with Nozomi Shinkansen (Kyoto-Tokyo)
7. Enjoyed scenic view of Lake Kawaguchiko
8. Sushi lunch at famous Ryu Sushi, Tsukiji Market
9. Crossing Shibuya Station chaotic intersection (The Scramble)
10. Capturing Shinjuku’s vibrant night life

Japan was truly heartwarming. Everywhere I went, locals greeted me with their bow and smile. Sumimasen (excuse me/sorry) and irasshaimase (welcome) might be the most heard wordings.