Sunday, June 30, 2019

Hidden Gems of Bogor | Danau Quarry Jayamix, Parung Jaya

Bogor is always one of my list to spend short weekend and it always offer a new hidden gems. Search and search, we choose this beautiful lake called Danau Quarry Jayamix. This beautiful blue lake is ex-sand mine, it's a sand supplier named Jayamix who own this sand mine and after digging to 40 meters the ground water comes out then they stop the operation here, days by days this big hole contain the rainwater and become this beautiful lake as you can see nowadays. In brief you can say it is an artificial lake.

It located in Rumpin, Parung Panjang, Bogor. And I just know Bogor is bordered with Tangerang as before they are together in one province. Well, new knowledge.

You can search by Google Map, Danau Quarry Tegallega (click link to see location) as show in picture below for your driving route, but don't expect the point is 100% accurate. You need also to ask local several times especially after you meet sand-loading truck.

It's feel the route is right when you goes through a bad road and truck everywhere.

I'm not sure for public transport to get here, as the location is quiet far from main road. Better to drive with safe driver as the road condition is not smooth and so dusty.


Before heading I search for entrance fee is IDR 2K per person but when we came an old man who said he is the person who take care of this area ask us for IDR 10K per person. Ya, it feels sad he is there by himself separate from outside world but feel sad also he ask an illegal fee.

Favorite view selama ke Bogor :)


Ini foto jalan masuk-nya

Lucky us when we arrive the sun is so bright, I read many reviews from visitor level of rain here is quite high. Best timing to come is around 9 to 10 in the morning. Wear comfy clothes and footwear you will play with grass, stone, and wild plants. 



My rating for Danau Quarry Jayamix is worth to visit, please noted for below notes : 
  • Route is long and not easy to get here, but you can enjoy and see unusual view as not common people know this place 
  • The illegal entrance fee let me down the rate for this lake 
  • Wear comfy clothes 
  • No toilet here
  • Be careful for your step around the lake
Important notes : local will told you the lake is already closed, yes it is. The lake is close for the operation thats why you can visit. 



Next point we are going to have lunch in BSD area. It takes around 1 hour and we are going to try Soto 70 BSD (click link for location) recommend from youtuber. The place is easily found by Google Map, and have large parking lot. 

RM Soto Betawi 70 
Jl. Pagedangan No. 5, Pagedangan, Tangerang, Banten

This is traditional restaurant without AC but with affordable price around IDR 20k. But so sorry, it not meet our taste, I'm not really like the taste. I think it's so salty and doesn't like the usual soto betawi that is creamy and rich of "rempah - rempah".


We always have room for dessert right? Then we are heading to Tanamera Coffee. It was my first time here and recommend by my friend. Located inside Serpong Digital Centre (SDC) you can easily found this cafe.

I'm not a fan of coffee and I order Red Velvet. Creamy and sweet. We order also the cake. Beverage is not bad but the place is so good. The door is open so you can enjoy outdoor view from your table, and with cool AC inside. It's amazing to let you sit tight and have good talk. Price is around IDR 50k.



A good place to chill. 

And just realize in one day we go through 3 province. Jakarta, Tangerang, Bogor. Excited for the next stop. Any hidden gems recommendation for short weekend? As we don't have any more long weekend for the rest of 2019 :) 



Friday, June 21, 2019

Seperti apa dunia kerja itu?

Di musim graduation ini, selain mau ucapin Happy Graduation buat kalian semua yang baru aja lulus aku juga mau sharing cerita dikit nih. Kan ceritanya lagi flashback dan masih berasa banget walaupun udah lulus 3 tahun yang lalu, tapi karena bulan lalu baru balik ke univ dan ketemu sama lecturer aku dulu jadi melow deh, hehehehe.

Lecturer aku kemarin sampai inget kalo aku tuh satu - satunya murid yang paling suka ikut segala event seminar kek speech kek apa aja yang intinya dengerin sharing pengalaman mereka para senior yang udah graduate yang cerita-nya keren - keren. Terus dia nanya "kamu kapan mau sharing ke junior kamu?" 

Karena aku belum ada waktu juga kesempatan buat sharing ke mereka langsung, jadi aku mau sharing di sini dulu aja yah. Semoga kalian gak bosan dengerin celotehan aku. :)

*sambil minum teh boleh ya oopsss

Currently I'm work for manufacturing industry yang mana kerjaan aku lebih ke engineering-nya. Terus aku sering dong ditodong, oh engineering itu teknisi ya, yang benerin mesin ya? Maap aku gak sehebat itu aku bukan tukang benerin AC, benerin DVD, benerin laptop.

Engineering itu luas gengs, aku lebih ke Industrial Engineering.

Emang sih sulit dipahami karena basically ranah manufacturing akan lebih dimengerti kalau emang kalian udah jurusan itu pas sekolahnya atau ngerti ketika kerjaan dibidang ini, selebihnya buat orang awam tuh susah dimengerti.

Karena aku pun pas baru interview kerjaan ini bener - bener bayang - bayang semu deh gatau ini isi gedung segede bagong ini lagi ngerjain apa.

Simple-nya kerjaan Industrial Engineering itu tentang meng-plopor-kan ide gagasan apapun itu untuk membuat proses manufacturing lebih baik lagi. Kalau belum ada gambaran, yuk google aja karena ku juga bingung jelasinnya.

Nah aku sering ditanya "oh kuliah-nya emang jurusan engineering ya?"

NGGAKKKK!!!!!

Aku tuh kuliah jurusan International Business & Digital Multimedia Design. Bener - bener gak ngerti tentang engineering. Gini ceritanya aku bisa sampai disini.

Semester terakhir kuliah aku sibuk cari kerja dan mulai ngeker kerjaan apa yang kira - kira cocok sama yang aku mau, gak lupa berdoa, karena cuman Tuhan yang tau kerjaan yang cocok buat aku. Singkat cerita Tuhan menunjukan pekerjaan ini, aku melewati segelintir ujian yang susah dan ribet dan ternyata dia bisa kasih aku ke branch dia yang di Indo ini which is sesuai sama keinginan aku untuk dekat rumah forgud ke Indo.

Nah ini buat yang nanya aku kerja di Indo karena gak dapet kerjaan di Taiwan, salah ya, aku waktu itu masih kerja di Taiwan dan dapet tawaran untuk kerja di Taiwan lagi setelah lulus tapi aku emang udah plan dan mantap untuk balik Indo.

Masuk ke kantor ini aku bener - bener buta, gak ngerti apa - apa, dan aku di training selama 3 bulan. Dalam 3 bulan ini aku di training dari A-Z, mengenal segala bagian yang ada, bikin process dengan tangan sendiri karena aku dibilang bos kalau kamu ga ngerti kerjaan level bawah lagi ngapain kamu nanti ga berhak manage mereka, yampunnn.

Aku harus presentasi setiap minggu dan ada ujian monthly yang aku harus present depan big boss dan disidang gitu. 3 bulan aku kurus 5kg. Thanks.

Dibulan ke-3 aku disuruh pilih departement mana yang aku mau. Waktu itu aku pikir - pikir department mana yang gak monoton kerjanya, yang bisa belajar banyak, bisa lihat banyak pengalaman, bisa bangun relasi internal external. Aku pilih 2 department.

Hari terakhir training aku akan di wawancara sama big boss terus dikasih nilai akhir yang akan menyatakan aku lulus apa gak.

Kalimat si boss yang aku masih ingat sampai saat ini : You're the second person I give the score as high as it is in my working life, it's because of your toughness. 

Tapi abis kalimat itu dilontarkan, aku malah dikasih pilihan ke-2 aku bukan department yang aku mau the most. Sebut aja department B ini. Bertahan hanya beberapa bulan di department B ini dan aku gak betah singkat cerita. Aku berasa disini aku gak cocok dan gak ada role model yang bisa "lead" aku juga gak ada celah buat aku untuk kerjain sesuai apa yang aku ingin kembangkan yang aku sebutin di awal.

Dengan pergumulan panjang aku cari big boss aku dan mencoba bilang kalau aku pengen pindah ke departemen A which is pilihan aku yang pertama. Tapi aku malah dihantam abis - abisan. Dan saat - saat down aku ini, aku malah dapat comment dari orang yang bikin aku makin pesimis : lu tuh pinter tapi sok pinter, lu jangan mimpi dipindahin department gak mungkin dari dulu ga bisa begitu, paling lu disuruh sabar aja, dan seterusnya. 

Satu hal yang aku percaya : Tuhan gak akan membawa kita sejauh ini hanya untuk sia - sia pasti Dia punya maksud sendiri. 

Karena aku berasa gak akan ada pertumbuhan juga aku selalu stay disini gak akan grow up daripada buang - buang waktu lebih baik aku cari kerjaan baru.

Aku udah prepare semua data - data, aku rapihin dan udah siap packing nih. Aku cari satu head yang jadi panutanqu sampai hari ini (*cesssss). Aku bilang tentang pikiran aku dan aku bilang waktu pass 3 bulan probation ditanya "How long you'll work here?" aku jawab "As long as I still can learn something." Jadi kalau sekarang aku ga bisa belajar something ditempat ini aku gak bisa paksa diri aku untuk stay.

Gengs you know, itu cerca-an dari netizen diatas semuanya runtuh seketika ketika aku dikirimin short message sama head ini dan langsung pindah ke departement pilihan akuuuu. Yampunnnn.

Dan semua yang aku minta ke Tuhan di awal aku masuk kerja Tuhan kasih. Aku belajar banyak banget hal - hal bahkan sampai hal yang belum pernah aku bayangin sebelumnya, aku dikasih sekolah liscense tentang engineering di Taiwan lagi, aku bisa bangun relasi internal external bahkan sampai aku bingung ini telpon WA semua nyala di waktu yang bersamaan gatau mau urusin yang mana dulu, aku juga bisa visit ke banyak tempat yang orang lain umumnya ga bisa dapetin authority buat ikut, dan masih banyak lagi bonus yang Tuhan kasih.

Sekali lagi, Tuhan selalu kasih kado beserta bonus-nya gak pernah Dia mengecewakan.


Ini hadiah dari salah satu orang yang menginspirasi aku, nanti aku sharing ya tentang hadiah yang bikin timbul banyak inspirasi ini :)
Kalau ditanya kok aku betah banget sama kerjaan yang sekarang, enak ya? Enak itu cenderung sih ya. Kalau cocok ya dibilang enak, kalau gak ya gak. Buatku sendiri kerjaan sekarang bukannya titik akhir sebuah pencapaian karena aku sendiri gak berasa ini kerjaan enak, stress kerjain ini itu, stress masih harus sekolah dan dituntut ini itu. Nah terus muncul deh suara : Dulu minta sama Tuhan apa, sekarang udah dikasih kok ngelunjak? 

Yaudah, Tuhan, maafkan aku, aku ngikut aja. Cuman Tuhan yang tau timing yang tepatnya kapan aja.

Dari pengalaman aku yang gak seberapa ini, aku cuman mau share nilai - nilai ajaran dari kerjaan aku ke aku yang menurutku berguna kalau kalian tahu sebelum masuk kerja.

你要習慣學你不會的東西

Quotes diatas muncul di otak aku ketika aku ditanya "pelajaran apa yang penting buat persiapan masuk dunia kerja?"

Belajar terbiasa untuk belajar sesuatu yang kita gak bisa. Ini penting banget, skill yang wajib dimiliki buat kalian yang mau bertumbuh dan berkembang. Karena ketika masuk ke suatu bidang pekerjaan, gak semua hal yang kalian kerjakan pernah diajarkan waktu sekolah, gak semua hal yang ada di kantor pernah kalian pahami sebelumnya, kalau case kerjaan aku kali ini, aku mulai dari 0. Karena gak ngerti semua dan baru ngerti ketika probation 3 bulan itu.

Ketika kita terbiasa / terlatih untuk belajar sesuatu hal yang baru kita gak akan canggung kalau dihadapkan dengan hal baru baik dalam kerjaan atau dalam lingkungan.

Aku sendiri suka yang namanya belajar, mau belajar dalam bentuk training teori, dengerin speech orang, atau belajar dengan pengalaman. Karena belajar itu menyenangkan ketika kita bisa memperluas wawasan.

Percaya atau nggak, value seseorang bisa dinilai ketika kita mulai ngobrol sama dia, dari cara dia berbicara, sudut pandang, dan pola pikir.

Gak ada salahnya belajar banyak, yang salah banyak alasan untuk menolak ajaran. 

Leader not born to solve your problem. 

Hakekat-nya kita kerja dibayar, jadi wajar dong kalau kantor itu mengharapkan effort kita. Jangan selalu berasa sudah sewajar-nya mereka yang diatas yang kasih saya cara solving problem ini. Salah besar. 

Ketika menghadapi problem di kantor, jangan datang ke atasan dan kasih tau problemnya terus minta solusi. 

Yang lebih tepat adalah, ceritakan problem yang dihadapi, kasih tau dampak buat perusahaan apa, pilihan solusi yang terpikirkan di benak kita apa. 

Atasan itu hanya akan memberikan arahan atau masukan, bukan solving problem. Kalau dia bisa solving semua kerjaan, dia gak akan hire kamu. 

Sisi positif-nya kita bisa berfikir lebih luas, lebih banyak belajar hal dan ketika itu berhasil dan muncul di permukaan kita juga yang akan dampak positifnya. 

Tulus itu baik, tapi bukan polos. 

Pernah gak baca job requirement terus salah satu listnya dia tulis dicari yang dewasa. Aku pernah baca ini pas di job vacancy di Taiwan. Kalau dipikir - pikir ada benarnya juga. 

Banyak pekerjaan yang mengharuskan kita untuk kontak external, yang berarti ketika kita keluar dari kantor kita akan menjadi representative kantor kita terhadap mereka yang diluar sana. Apapun perbuatan kita disana akan jadinya image kantor kita. 

Contoh gampangnya ketika kita lihat anak kecil buang sampah sembarangan, pikiran kita pasti, orang tuanya gak ajarin apa gak boleh buang sampah sembarangan? 

Sama seperti itu. Sebenarnya ketika kita keluar sebagai representative kantor hal kecil-pun bisa jadi batu sandungan. 

"Baru masuk di kantor ini ya? Kok saya baru liat?"

"Iya, baru 2 bulan kok probation aja belum pass."

Padahal boss kita selalu menjaga image kualitas employee, tapi karena kepolosan jawaban itu yang bikin boss jadi kikuk. 

Jawaban bisa diganti jadi "Oh, nggak, mungkin baru kali ini dapat schedule disini. Kita ada rolling juga."

Pintar - pintar lah membungkus suatu statement. Bukan berbohong tapi memperindah. Pernah ada pengalaman denger cerita orang yang mau interview, terus syaratnya yang masih single. Nah doi dan pacar ada plan buat married jadilah dia jawab pas interview bilang tentang rencana married ini, dikasih saran mending jangan bilang dulu. Pertama belum tau juga kapan married-nya, kedua ketika udah masuk kerjaan ini dan cocok mungkin kantor gak masalah sama status. Tapi dia malah jawab, ah gak mau bohong. 

Nah jadi sekali lagi, bohong dan membungkus statement itu beda ya teman - teman. 

Setelah masuk dunia kerja ternyata seru juga ya ngobrolin tentang dunia kerja, aku jadi keluar inspirasi nulis. Next pengen nulis tentang tips interview untuk pemula, terus tentang gimana kerjaan impact ke kehidupan sehari - hari kita, kira - kira ada ide lain gak? Boleh leave comment ya :) 

Wednesday, June 5, 2019

Exploring Halong Bay & Hanoi | Northern Vietnam

Continue from my previous post, here I am touchdown Vietnam. If you haven't, click link below. :)

Read : Exploring Nanning which Bordering Vietnam 

After cross Dongxing - Mongcai border the local guide pick us up by bus and we are on our way to Halong. Mongcai - Halong around 3 hours. 

Halong is the northern Vietnam city which famous with Halong Bay. Basically visitor come to Halong for Halong Bay, the Unesco World Heritage.

My first impression in Vietnam, slow pace city. Northern Vietnam is still under developing country, first feeling is when I take the bus is not a fancy and clean bus, feels like Indonesia in 2000-ish. Vietnam currency is Vietnam Dong, exchange rate is low and in tourist area they prefer to get RMB (China Yuan) or Indonesia Rupiah. Maybe that's why the exchange rate of Dong is getting lower cause even Vietnam citizen don't choose it.

If you are travelling to Vietnam, I suggest you not to change Dong in high amount cause some place is cheaper if you pay with RMB.

But also you need Dong for pay in traditional local market as they don't received other foreign currency.

Halong Bay is one of my bucket list in recent months and so glad I'm going to visit this beautiful place. A place where Kingkong & James Bond movie shoot, a place that American says once in lifetime a must visit one.

From our hotel in Halong City we drive around 30 minutes to Tuan Chao International Marina, this is the station to take cruise to Halong Bay


Inside there are toilet, supermarket, and local tenants of course with higher price. Anw weather in Vietnam so humid and hot above 35 degree Celsius when I'm there. So make sure to prepare your jacket, sunglasses, and hat to keep you from the sunburn.


You'll see many cruise in Tuan Chao Marina. My package is half day Halong Bay tour, there are also day tour which you can stay inside cruise. But after this trip I think half day is enough


The legends say during the old times when Vietnam newly formed, come enemies from the North and they attack through the sea. So Vietnamese pray and ask blessings for Vietnam. Suddenly come the dragon to look after Vietnam, the dragon scattered the fire and giant emeralds to against enemies. Finally enemies goes away and the rest of giant emeralds left, after thousand years the left emeralds which scattered by dragon become different shape of island. It is what we see now, there are many small island with different shape in Halong Bay. 

Halong it self in Chinese character is 下龍, Ha or 下 means down, Long or 龍 means dragon. The dragon which come down to this bay. 

Its why now it called Halong Bay 下龍灣.


Wait, i'm not ready yet!

This rock is called Fighting Cocks or Hon Ga Choi Island as it seems like a couple of chicken, local says. 

 

focus on the rock
Fighting cocks from another angle
The cruise will goes to another speed boat marina and we change to speedboat for a while and change to small wooden boat to get to Luon Cave & Lake 月亮湖

It was a private small island and feels like isolated from the world. Amazing peaceful trip. Love it. 



Pink butt monkey on the island



And this hole story as local information is long time ago lives a fisherman couple here, the husband is going outside to catch fish and the wife keep waiting but the husband not coming. Years by years the husband still not coming home and the wife become stone. 
Titop Island
The man behind me is Titop, Russian astronaut. This is Titop Island, one of the island in Halong Bay. There are volleyball court and beach for swimming, its famous as romantic island in Halong Bay. 

In French colonial period, Titop Island had its historical name as Cat Nang, meaning the beauty of a charming girl. According to a historical record in 1962, Cat Nang Island was changed to Ti Top Island to memorize event of Ho Chi Minh president & a Russian astronaut Gherman Titov visited to the island. 

The beach with Halong Bay island iconic view

After a hot sweating day we back to the cruise and have lunch. Seafood is ready on the table and the cruise was slowly drive to the middle of the island. I was to hungry and forget to take a picture for my lunch. But its good. 


After lunch, chilling in the deck of cruise is a must. I love the peaceful feeling to be on the deck, seeing the endless of turquoise Halong Bay and feel the air. I sit down and think it's time to have quality time with my self then I think I want to pray. Thank God to bring me here, unlocked Vietnam especially Halong Bay. 

I suddenly hear this : The God who made this beautiful amazing view that you adore so much, is the same God who made your life your future as beauty as it is. What you worry about? 




So long Halong Bay, definitely an amazing view. 

Head of to Hanoi 河內 around 3 hours from Halong. Hanoi is the capital city of Vietnam located in northern Halong. 

If you come to Vietnam you will realize Vietnamese looks like Chinese. Yes, that's right. 

In China dynasty era, Vietnam is one of China. Then they want to independent from China so they fight to get the independence. Uni Soviet support Vietnam as they still don't have any money or weapon, in the other side China still have weapon stock while China don't have any war. Mao Ze Dong 毛澤東 think if this weapon is about to expired use inside China will be pollution in his own country. So, they used it all to Vietnam, poor Vietnam. 

After that Vietnam still want to be independence country, than Vietnam win the war with South Han army 南漢軍隊. In that time Vietnam still use Mandarin as their language. Vietnam declare independence in September 2nd, 1945. But after that France come to colonize Vietnam, war end at 1954. But in South Vietnam, America is still colonizing. Starting 1961 Vietnam against America and in 1975 North & South Vietnam merge as one and become Socialist Republic of Vietnam 越南社會主義共和國. 

As I mention before, Vietnam still use Mandarin as their language but Ho Chi Minh think if they want to be independent they need to have their own language so they have Vietnam language but they don't know how to write down only by speaking, kinda dialect. 

Due they have contact with France so they adopt French writing, as you can see now in Vietnam language writing have symbol in the word like French. 

And 60% of their using vocabulary come from Mandarin. Mostly Vietnamese can speak Mandarin a little bit at least. 

Ho Chi Minh 胡志明 is the father of Vietnam, they called him Uncle Hu. Sadly Uncle Hu passed away at 1969 right in Vietnam independence day and he haven't see North & South Vietnam come into one. 

Why he called Uncle Hu? Cause he didn't get married in his lifetime. He focus on how to raise Vietnam into independence country, so in Vietnamese heart they all have Uncle Hu. 

Uncle Hu preserved body is place in Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and embalmed 3 times every year in Russia. It is said that it was the good preserved body compare with others, but sadly we can't see it. 

Please be noted if you come to this presidential area, wear polite outfit to enter, if no they will not allow you to enter this area. And do not step the yellow line. 

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
Ho Chi Minh office and resident behind me. 1F as lobby to receive guest, 2F as office area, 3F as resident area.


Remain things from the war is show at Military Museum. In here also you can purchase a balm that no one know the ingredients except military people, as said the balm is magic balm for soldier in war era to kill pain and rheumatic. 








Step a way from historical things, we head out to West Lake. Yes, it called West Lake in Hanoi. Then I ask locals is it the West Lake like in China one? 

She said the story. Once upon a time Chang 'E 嫦娥 (the lady in mooncake symbol) looking in the mirror, unfortunately the mirror fall down to the earth and become 2 piece. The big piece is the West Lake in China and small piece is this Vietnam West Lake


鎮國寺 Chua Tran Quoc is the oldest Buddhist pagoda in Vietnam, a memoriam place for Vietnam hero. I also met some monk here. Anyway there are local tenants selling some souvenir with affordable price in West Lake parking area. 





Nearby you can visit 36 Old Street 36古街. It is an old town with 36 street total and there are 3 wheels bicycle to rent. Anyway, be careful when walking in Vietnam, the traffic is crazy and motorcycle is everywhere. I'm getting crazy to cross the road. 

1 of 36 street
From Hanoi we are going back to Nanning. But this time we cross Friendship Border. This Border is quiet comfortable compare with Dongxing-Mongcai one, as this border is mainly cross for container not visitor. 

So I enter Vietnam from west and leaving from east. See picture below if you don't know what I'm talking about HAHAHAHA


That iconic Friendship Border 友誼關 One of the biggest border in China
Anyway kindly reminder, don't get wrong. Hanoi is city near Halong, which is if you take flight to Halong Bay will arrived at Halong airport. And Ho Chi Minh is in South Vietnam, before it named Saigon. Hanoi & Ho Chi Minh is far away :)