Souvenir from Semarang

I went to Semarang, the capitol city of West Java last month for work purpose. It was my first work trip apparently, hehhe..
It was indeed fun and had a different kind of feeling traveling alone (an activity that i used to do often when i was an exchange student). Anyway, i visited one of the most famous block in Semarang namely Pandanaran. It's actually a street where you can find all kinds of typical souvenirs from Semarang. However, i did not expect to find such a unique shop like this one among the competition of bandeng presto shops and wingko babat stalls.
It's an old building of an exquisite and antique but still sophisticated drugstore.

Its name is Apotek Sputnik. This drugstore is the first drugstore in Semarang. See the interiors and you'll know why it stands out as one of the diamond of this old trading city.

Aaaaah.. what a nice coincidence treasuring it :)

[Japan 2008] Capturing Japan's Graceful Autumn

Luck at Kyoto

when being contrast is a process to be cleansed out in order to rejuvenate

romantism of Kyoto's autumn


ketika menggugur berarti bersemu

Kiki, Mama, the Fuji, and autumn leaves

go straight to the right up to the Fuji

ilalang menuju puncak

boats at the Hakone lake

lanterns at Asakusa

cleansing body and soul before converse with the All Mighty

graceful autumn

[Japan 2008] Tokyo: the Harmony of Mind and Heart

My first impression about Tokyo is that the diverse charm the city enlights.

Traditional and modern building blend together everywhere, law and local tradition is upheld consistently by everyone, and even in the highest pride of human logic, the Japanesse are able to respect their inner limitation, the border between human and the Creator.

Tokyo is vast.

and indeed cool, though calm.

The calmity, i think, is created from the politeness and the sympathic way the Japanese have toward guests. We feel being welcomed and respected anywhere in this city, and i believe, in this country.

The coolness is inside. The coolness is though hot and burning.

And Tokyo as the capitol city, as a metropolitan, as a society shares this paradox.

The city bursts, the city calms. On and on, that it spins, and becomes constant.

The city then can offer two extreme for stranger: lost or meditated

Souvenirs from Nord Sumatra 2008: The Fruit Market of Brastagi

Brastagi.
What comes first into your mind ?

Definitely this exotic fruit: Markisa

Brastagi.

an old city outside Medan, has been famous since the colonial time to be the place of leisure due to its cool weather.

an old city that still survives with its simplicity, its freshness, its fertility, its breeze, its wind, its tranquility yet its pride.

Under the blue tent covering the fruit market, a place where the city beats, we can breath them all....

through generations, the Brastagians pass the charm of their city..

and Brastagi will still be Brastagi, with its Markisa, with its breeze of hardship and tranquility.

Souvenirs from Nord Sumatra 2008: by the harbour of Ambarita, Samosir

Werner, Kiki, Barbara

Souvenirs from Medan: Ayo Boeng !!!

Souvenirs from Bali: drawing on the way to Batur

On the way to Batur, 31 December 2007, 11 hours and 15 minutes to 2008

On the way to Batur, the last day of 2007, 10 minutes and 11 hours to 2008

Souvenir from Manila: Balut

If you ever heard one of the Fear Factor challenge is to eat duck egg with embrios in it. OK, don't be surprised but this food is a delicacy of the Phillipines. Its names is Balut.

Rhita and I were very excited to taste it on our last trip to Manila. We had been questioning the committee of the conference we attended about how we could find Balut.

Surprisingly, one of our fellow committe, Ralph, brought us the international delegates some Baluts on our last seminar.So there we were challenging our guts to taste the Balut.

Eating Balut has a kind of art.
First: crack the top part of the egg
Second: sip the soup of the egg (first surprise !!!! hahhaha)

Third: peel of the egg, and take out the white-hard part. Now you are able to see the embrio. (second surprise !!! start questioning why it is considered to be a delicacy.hahhhaha)

Four: put some salt, and eat it at once (the last surprise: IT'S GOOD !!!!!!!!!!!!)

so, i think, fear is not my factor after all. hahahha