Pick Your Cupid

Found in NY Times, via Swiss Miss

It's never too late to pick your cupid. So which is yours?  Have a wonderful Wednesday!:)

The Roman Brotherhood

This is us posing in front of IFAD building, photographed by Jessica. Thanks, Jessica!

Jorge took this photo of me during our night walk to Piazza de Spagna. Thanks, Jorge!

The Random Post On Italians

The guards near Pantheon

1. An expat friend from Scotland said that people living in the warm climate areas tended to be more friendly. He concluded this after seeing the happy-go-lucky attitude in most Indonesians. Perhaps, he added, it was the warm kiss of the sun that made the people happy. Hmm, while there had been no scientific research on this issue, I might as well agree with him because Rome (with its mild winter) has nice and friendly citizens.

Every time I was lost and asked for directions, they always stopped to help and ended their sentences with a smile. And if I said,"Grazie (thank you)", they would retort back with,"Brava (good)". FYI, I only know "Grazie" and "Scusa" and "Si", hahaha. A man even patted me on the shoulder after giving me the directions.

Some even knows how to joke with the tourists. One night, when we sat in a restaurant waiting for our pizzas, the waiter bringing four pizzas that were clearly ours pretended to walk past our tables. He winked and smiled when we asked whether the pizzas were ours. Hahaha, a naughty waiter.

Another funny moment was when we're going to have lunch in IFAD. When the chef knew that I was looking for vegetarian menu, he quickly said,"Oh no, you can't have those" with a naughty wink and a smile. Hahaha, you can't fool me, chef.

Also during the dinner a lady walked past our table and said,"Buona appetito." To which we replied,"Grazie."

 

2. After reading the #1, you can tell for sure that Italians are definitely proud with their language. But it wasn't until I turned on the TV in my hotel room did I fully comprehend this. All of the movies are dubbed in Italian! Anyway, hearing Jennifer Aniston and the cast of Friends speak in Italian was quite an experience. Oh dear, I miss subtitles. Thank God, the hotel's TV also aired CNN and BBC.

Also found during my channel surfing: Italians love soccer. There are at least six channels airing soccer matches all the time. It's like ESPN, but only soccer. I kinda like the soccer channels, though.

The Swiss guards in Vatican city

3. When I told my friends that I was going to go to Rome, one suggested that I bring extra luggage to smuggle a handsome Italian guy to Indonesia. I couldn't help laughing upon reading her text messages. I mean, all Italians I've met in Jakarta are mostly short, fat and balding. Well, they are chefs, so that explains the fat factor.

But as I sat in the waiting room of Dubai international airport and a group of gorgeous Italian males stepped in, I had the urge to pack one of them into my luggage. I think they were athletes, because they had athletic body and wore some kind of uniformed jersey outfits. So yes, there are handsome Italian guys, the problem is they live in Italy.

4. I think Italians are obsessed with leather. When I walked along the streets in Flaminio or along the gates of Vatican city, I could see leather boots, leather jackets, and leather bags being put in the shops' window or being offered by street vendors. I almost bought a pair of leather boots (only 39.90 Euros), but they were the last ones and not available in my size. Argh. I will come again for the leather boots, Rome!

5. A fellow journo said that the receptionist at the hotel where we were staying in Rome was rude and not friendly. I was surprised because the man had always been friendly with me. But then, as I checked out of the hotel, I had this conversation with the receptionist, and I could guess why he was nice to me.

Receptionist (R): Bongiorno

Me : Bongiorno, I want to check out, please.

R : (checked on the computer) Did you take anything from the mini bar?

Me : No

R : Then, everything is clear, Mother.

Mother? He is clearly older than I am. Did he think I was a Catholic nun? I smiled politely and made my way to the door, trying to hold my laughters.

Actually, he was not the only person in Rome who called me 'Mother'. There were at least four other people calling me 'Mother' or 'Sister'. They were a guy at the airline's booth, a guy at the boarding gate, a street vendor near Vatican city and a ticket officer at a station.

I feel flattered being thought as a nun, but then it means I can't flirt with Italian guys who can't differentiate a Muslim hijabi and a Catholic nun.

A painter selling his painting (I forgot the place, but it could be Piazza di Navona). I have a soft spot for men who can create wonderful things with their hands:)

The Short Sojourn, The Long Post

Have you ever visited a place in such a short period of time it felt like a midsummer's dream?

In 2007, I was assigned to Yogyakarta, Central Java to attend Hari Bakti TNI AU. I had to be present at Halim Perdanakusumah airport at 5 a.m., flew in a Hercules aircraft at 6 a.m., touched down at Maguwo airport in Yogyakarta, attend the 2-hour ceremony at 7 a.m., did interview and lunch, and at 1 p.m. I was already in Jakarta again. I didn't even step out of Maguwo airport. 

My colleague Soehtam even had a much worse experience. He went from Jakarta to Manado, Sulawesi in the early dawn. The journey between Jakarta and Manado takes around four-five hours, but since Jakarta and Manado have two-hour time difference, he got in Manado when the sun was already high. He flew back from Manado at 7 p.m., had the same four-hour flight, but when he arrived in Jakarta it was still 9 p.m. in local time.

"It was literally the longest day in my life," he said. 

It seemed that history repeated again. I left Jakarta for Rome, Italy to attend a three-day course held by Thomson Reuters Foundation and Rome-based UN agency IFAD. The visa itself took about five days (which was amazing because the normal visa will need 12-15 days, grazie Ambasciata). Unfortunately, I could not extend my sojourn in Rome. But I did have a great time:)

I arrived in Rome on Feb. 17 at 13.00 local time. Rome and Jakarta have six-hour time difference, so it's already 19.00 in Jakarta. The long journey was really tiring (oh well, perhaps it's due to age), but I was determined to try Rome's public transportation. So instead of hailing a cab, I bought train ticket (8 Euro) for FR1 line to reach Roma Ostiense station.

A subway train in Rome

I was so surprised when the train came because it was totally covered in graffiti it looked like it had been severely vandalized. Then the first trial came: I got off the wrong station. I asked a man if I needed to buy another ticket to reach Roma Ostiense. Although I asked in English, the man replied in Italian. Ouch!

But of all the words he said, my ears caught words that sounded like dix minutes (French word for 'ten minutes'). The man also pointed his hand to the platform. So the train would come in 10 minutes and I should stay and wait there, I concluded. The conclusion was correct. Anyway, according to a website, Rome's temperature that day was between 10 and 13 degree Celsius, so standing on the platform for 10 minutes was not an exciting experience.

After getting off in Roma Ostiense, I transferred to subway heading for Laurentina. The subway ticket is only 1 Euro. As I dragged my luggage to the hotel, a street vendor greeted me with,"Assalamualaikum, are you Malaysian?" Oh wow, feels like home already, hahaha. Anyway, the street vendor is a Bangladeshi, but he worked in Malaysia for 14 years, so we talked a bit, he used Melayu language, while I Bahasa.

When I saw my hotel room, I was shocked. It was so small, I barely had space to move around. I don't have claustrophobia and I am petite enough to sleep on that tiny single bed. But still, I was expecting a little bit more space.

The tiny hotel room

On Friday, I met with the other 17 journalists across the globe. The room where we convened was soon filled with conversation in English, Spanish, French, Arabic and even African languages. I really loved the mixed combination of the group. The meeting was ended at 5 p.m. And we rushed to the city!

I went with Jessica from Singapore, Rahimy from Malaysia and Aya from Dubai, UAE. We headed straight to Fontana di Trevi. If the day was cold, the night was even colder. We had pizzas for dinner in a small restaurant before going back to the hotel.

On Saturday, the course began. Then I joined a reception with the hope that I could meet my delegations. Since there were none, I took comfort in the delicious foods served in the event. The reception ended at 8 p.m. There were only Jorge, the Paraguayan journo, and I in the IFAD building, so I asked him if he wanted to go around the city. Well, I was a bit forcing him to accompany me:P. At first, he said he was tired and wanted to sleep.

"But we don't go to Rome everyday, Jorge," I said.
Upon hearing those words, he finally said,"Okay, let's meet at the lobby 15 minutes from now."

Yay! Since it was Saturday, the subway service lasted until 1.30 a.m., while from Sunday to Friday, the subway only ran until 9.30 p.m. It was very late, but the subway was bustling with Italians who wanted to hit downtown with their friends and partners.

We met Josefina, a nice Peruvian lady, at Laurentina station (Jorge started a conversation with her in Spanish) and she suggested that we got off at Flaminio station and looked around. So off we went to Flaminio, and there we found Piazza del Popolo, walked to Piazza di Spagna, and climbed the Spanish steps.

Piazza del Popolo

Piazza de Spagna and the Spanish step

I love exploring a city at night as it falls to sleep and loosens its guard. The city lights were up and people were walking hands in hands along the streets. The photos I took this night were a bit blurry, but I kinda loved them for the dreamy look.

During our subway ride back to the hotel, we went into a car with drunk Italians. They kept yelling and jostling among themselves. Jorge looked a bit worried and he kept a watchful guard. Thank God, two train police officers came and told the drunk guys to leave the train.

Sunday morning found me working on the training again. The session ended at 2 p.m., the journos had a quick farewell (saying goodbyes is painful) and headed out to explore the city before leaving Rome. I went with Jessica and Aya.

We went to Colosseum, see a glimpse of the Roman ruins, saw the inside of Pantheon, and had dinner in a restaurant. Rome was raining after dinner, so I pulled out a red umbrella I just bought for 12 Euros and gave it a rain check (aha, a pun, hahaha). The umbrella passed with flying colors:).

Be a gladiator at the Colosseum

Monday was the last day. Since my flight was at 8.35 p.m., I decided to explore the city again before leaving Rome. Not just a place in Rome, but the Vatican City. I went with Jessica. We passed a very long queue for the Vatican museum. Fortunately, we bought advanced tickets online (19 Euros) and we could get in in a jiffy.

Going to the Vatican Museum was really a lifetime experience. Well, at least for me since I love art. I was finally able to see with my own eyes the sculpture of The Pity and the fresco of The Last Judgement in Sistine Chapel, after just admiring them from books and photos. Both are the works of Michaelangelo. I could spend hours to stay there, but time was ticking. So little time, so much to do and see.

La Pieta (or The Pity) by Michaelangelo

Then we went to St. Peter's Basilica, climbed the cupola and saw Rome from above. The climb to the cupola was hard, but the view was worth it. Magnificent! During my college years, I saw this bird eye's view of St. Peter's Basilica in Francis DK Ching's book. Seeing it for real almost brought tears to my eyes.

And that ladies and gentlemen, the last moments I had with Rome as I had to ran back to the hotel to pick up my luggage and headed straight to Fiumicino airport. Then I had another 15-16 hours of flight, four hours of transit and the six-hour time difference all over again, and here I am:).

Back To The Big Durian

Hello, there! I'm back in Jakarta again:). 

I arrived here on Tuesday night, still had jet lag on Wednesday, and was swamped with works on Thursday. But today and tomorrow are my days off. So let's check what Jakarta has in store for this weekend.

After I browse, surf and dig around the web, it seems that the only interesting event (well, for me it's interesting) this weekend is the regular movie screening at Erasmus Huis Jakarta that will bring The Hell of '63 this Saturday, at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. It's about the grueling adventure skaters had to endure in the infamous Elfstedentocht of 1963.

Besides watching the movie, I will probably do the laundry or have a lunch with a colleague. Or hunt DVDs of Studio Ghibli. Or sleep, I still fall asleep on the bus ride to the office and home, it seems my body is still used to the Roman time.  

I'll write a post on the journey to Rome next week if my work schedule permits.

Have a great weekend:)

The Eternal City

Mia cara, sorry for the lack of post. I was supposed to spend my six-day holidays in Semarang. But something came up and I had to go back to Jakarta. Things moved very fast and the last thing I remembered was going to the airport.

Anyway, right now I'm in The Eternal City.

I still can't function well thanks to the 15-hour flight, three-hour transit, and six-hour time difference. I need some sleep first, eat and then blogs about it.

One thing for sure, when you are in the land of the Godfathers, you feel safe when seeing a police car in the parking lot:)

Have a happy weekend:)

Seoulites' Sense Of Fashion

Taken in Myeong-Dong district

When I was in Seoul, I wished that I was Bionic Woman and had cameras in my eyes. Because Seoulites wear their fashion like no one else would. In many global cities, the ones with the best fashion are usually women, but in Seoul, the men also score high in fashion.

Every time I boarded the subway or walked along the streets, there were always fashionable Korean guys within my eyesight. They would wear pink, light blue, purple T-shirts (with very low V-neck line that makes girls salivating, ok maybe not all girls, maybe it's just me:P) paired with leather trousers and boots. In Indonesia, most men would never wear pink. Also, the Korean guys always wear hats, scarves and cool jackets. So Korean guys really provided me with a fresh look on men's wear.

Not all Korean guys are strikingly handsome, but they have guts to wear unusual clothes. I really wanted to take their photos, but sometimes they were standing too far, sometimes I was in a hurry and most times I was too shy. I know, I know, I should just ask them anyway. I'll try to be bold next time.

One night, when Hugo, Wharrysson and I walked along Apgujeong, a hip district near our hotel, we played a game of "Stylespotting", which was basically reviewing whether the gals and the guys were hot. Hugo and Wharrysson were to judge the gals, while I the guys. 

Unfortunately, that night was the night when all beautiful gals had fun, while the handsome guys were nowhere to be seen. Hugo and Wharrysson had a great time doing pretty gals-watching while I smiled watching their behavior. Boys will be boys. But I want my flower boys! :(

Anyway, if you're wondering what kind of fashion Seoulites wear, The Sartorialist is currently in South Korea.

And if you're planning to go to South Korea, below are several 'hot spots' for people-watching:
- Hongik University area (there are many cafes and creative industries in the area. There is also a cafe where Korean drama Coffee Prince was shot:))
- Myeong-Dong (people come and go in a jiffy, and all of them are dressed for success!)
- Apgujeong (many cafes and restaurants, it's said that Korean movie stars often hang out in Galleria, unfortunately I didn't meet any)
- Itaewon (with a mosque in the district, there are many halal restaurants, but there are 'suspicious' bars that have girls wearing very skimpy outfits coming and going, perhaps it's a bit like red light district)
- Insa-dong (a place to buy Korean souvenirs, but many Koreans come here to hang out, one of the most visited is Samszi gil)
- Garosu-gil (it's a nice street, lined up with cafes)

Perhaps there are more places, but those are the place I went to.

Have a nice day, people!