Grand Indonesia Shopping Town, Jakarta

I had a little adventure with Rania right after we had our breakfast.  I just wanted to grab few interior magazines but ended up exploring the Grand Indonesia Plaza from end to end.  This shopping mall is a bit similar to One Utama but it is smaller.  It has West Wing and East Wing.  Not interesting to backpackers i supposed.

ALUN-ALUN INDONESIA

SEIBU

LEVEL ONE

To view more pictures of us at Grand Indonesia Shopping Town, please click:  GRAND INDONESIA SHOPPING TOWN

Then we went there again with Mr Shan in the evening.  Everywhere is just a walking distance at this area including the Hard Rock Cafe.  Even so, it was quite challenging especially when the beggars approaching you and start touching you while asking for money.

Sarinah Department Store, Jakarta

It is easy to find handicrafts/kerajinan in Jakarta.  I browsed through the net and found few places as such Jalan Surabaya, Ancol Art Market, Plaza Grande, Glodok and Alun-Alun Indonesia.  However, due to time constraint, we decided to go to Sarinah Department Store.  which is only 20 mins walk from Mandarin Oriental.

Sarinah Department Store has 5 levels.  Handicrafts are placed at Level 5.  You can also find batik and muslim attire at Level 3 and 4.

I was so excited once we reached the 5th floor.  You can find lots of things ranges from fridge magnets, key chains to paintings and art sculptures made of wood, rattan, brass metal, etc..  

Wooden Coasters:  Rp 125.000

Wooden Bowls (Range):  Rp 125.000 - Rp 250.000

Wooden Trays:  Rp 250.000 - Rp 450.000

Fridge Magnets (each):  Rp 20.000 - Rp 35.000

Sculptures:  Rp 400.000 - Rp 1.600.000

Paintings:  Rp 250.000 - Rp 4.000.000

To view more pictures of us at Sarinah Dept Store, please click:  Sarinah Department Store

Some who have shopped in Bali, Yogyakarta would find this place a bit pricey, but it would be more expensive if its in Malaysia.  I found difficulties to find stuff with reasonable price but made it at the end.  

One day in Jakarta

We arrived at Jakarta at 9.01 am yesterday.  The journey was quite bumpy and the landing was a bit shocking to me.  Its either I'm scared of flying or I was having a i-hope-it-doesn't-crash feelings.

Anyhow, right after we came out from the CGK airport, there were men approaching us 'Taksi bang, taksi'.  'bang?'.  Guess they knew that we are from Malaysia.  We went straight and searched for the 'Bluebird Group' taxi.  A Bluebird guy came with a vest written 'Bluebird Group' but escorted us to a 'Silverbird' black old Mercedez cab.

After 1-hour stuck in the Indonesian's Macet (traffic jam), we checked in to Mandarin Oriental, Jakarta.  The security check here is good.  Any car goes in and out from the building will be inspected.  4-5 men will open the car boot, all doors, the passengers and they are using metal/bomb detector as well.  Whatever stuff that you bring must be scanned together with you afterwards.  Just like at the airport.  I'm seeing this at most of the buildings in Jakarta in fact.

To view more pictures of us at Mandarin Oriental, please click:  Mandarin Oriental Jakarta

We took half-an-hour break, and then took a cab to go to Kota Tua (Old Batavia).  Again, we looked for a Bluebird group cab.

To view more pictures of us at Kota Tua, Jakarta, please click: Kota Tua / Old Batavia

The cost of the trip was Rp 35.000.  The cab driver was so friendly and he did a bit of a tourist guide duty by showing us Glodok, Chinatown and gave us a bit of travelling tips in Jakarta.  Very nice guy indeed.

Old Batavia is an old town of Jakarta (Pusat niaga lama Jakarta).  Once upon a time, it was a prime attraction for traders as the place is so nearby to the Sunda Kelapa port.  Since the trading activities shifted to Jakarta, the place was left behind as historical attraction.  The dutch-look colonial look appears at most of the buildings.  However, sadly to say, the place is left with poor maintenance except for Cafe' Batavia.   

All historical buildings are closed by as such the Museum Sejarah Jakarta, Museum Wayang, and Taman Fatahillah

Then we went to the famous Indonesia's Monument - MONAS.  This time we took the white cab, Express.  The journey cost us Rp 25.000.  MONAS is located at the Merdeka Square and the place is big.  Bigger than our own Dataran Merdeka.  

To view more pictures of us at MONAS, please click: MONAS

After the long walking to and fro to the Monument, we went to the Thamrin City Mall.  Cost of the trip = Rp 15.000.  My mother made a very last minute order before our flight.  What else, Telekung, of course.  We reached there at 4 p.m.  Had our lunch, which was a bit pricey to my expectation (Rp 63.000) and we only had 1/2 hour left for the hunting.  Most of the shops there closes at 5 pm.  I made it through and bought 3 pairs of good quality Telekungs with a total price of Rp 230.00.  Not bad.  You need to sharpen your bargaining skills here.

To view more pictures of us at Thamrin City Mall, please click: Thamrin City Mall

This place is huge.  My plan was just to go to Dasar 1 Blok B,C,D,E,F.  I recommend to those who plan to come here please plan your journey or else, you will end up wandering around.

Work from/at home?

I was thinking about this for so long and finally I told my family about my 10 years plan.  I want to work from home once my eldest reaches 13.  She is now 3+.

Being a salary woman for 10 years now, makes me a working machine day in and day out.  Everything should be in places before I go to work.  At work, tasks must be settled according to datelines and once reaches home, needless to say, the housewife duty comes next.  Before 10, my body all worn out.

The first thing that I am looking at for this future-self-transformation is psychology preparation.  Having a short break is fun, but after a while, will my brain slowly ceasing? Will I feel depressed? Will I go mad?  I heard stories from many housewives who want to go back to work after 2 - 3 years of break.

Then budget plan pops out.  We have been following the same budget plan and now its at it's peak where we need to pay the house mortgage, car installments, study loans. etc.  This is still under planning and discussion with Mr Shan as we need to clear up few debts if we want to make this work.

So, I have started doing a bit of research and try 'googling' what kind of part time jobs that suits me.  Data entry sounds nice, ya.  Hopefully by the time reaches, I am all set to go. 

All these goes to the reason why I want to have early retirement.  There's only one answer:  Its all about the children.  Teenage years have the most memorable moments in our lives.  I just want to be there for my kids for every good and bad moments that happen to them.  Just like my mother.

And its a good practice too before we really go into the retirement age.

What is happiness?

Happiness defines differently to different people.  Some people think that career success can make them happy.  Some people are happy by having big cars and big houses.  Some people are happy by having a happy and healthy family.  To some, happy comes by just looking at the big blue sky.

True happiness is within your grasp.

My husband once said to me, 'It feels like Saturday today'.  It was on Tuesday and we were on our way to work.  By him saying that, my not-wanting-to-go-to-work mood changed from mellow to yellow.  How easy it was to feel happy at that moment.

Sometimes, we have to take a break from dreaming big and accepting what is and living in the present moment.

I can be happy by just browsing through any kitchen magazines from any bookstore.

The calming Bradford-On-Avon

Photos were taken a year ago in Bradford-On-Avon.  The place was so calm and sleepy.  

I wish we had spent more time here.

Remember to come here early! All shops will be closed at 6.

Ibu..

Happy Mother's Day!

In this 20th centuries, more are having friend-to-friend kinda relationship with their mothers.  Mothers nowadays are easy to talk to and more open mind.  However there is always a thick line between you and your mother which is called 'RESPECT'.  I've seen few disrespect their mothers and that thick line is losing somewhere .

What do you remember about your mother?  My mother is a 'home' to me.  That needs 32 years of listening, shoulder to cry at, self treatment, advice department, home made cooking...and the list grows.  My mother is not perfect, but she is the perfect role model to me.  My mother never differentiate people based on education, money and status.  She always has a good point behind another.

Day-to-day advice that I still get from my mother

• No matter how successful you are, never forget to perform Solat and Doa as Allah can snap it out at any point of time.
• No matter how much you earn in the future, the loaded people are the ones who manage their financial well.  Its better to have thick cash in the pocket (metaphor that my parents always use).
• No matter how high your status is, remember to bring your moral values with you.  ADAB is number one subject that all must learn.
• Remember to send your children to 'Sekolah Agama' (evening school). 

As for myself, I hope that I can be a 'mother' to my children.  I'm working, live in KL and always go home late, and at the moment those do not qualify me as a good mother.

Anyway, Happy mother's day to all of the mothers out there and always love your mom as her love to you is infinite.

There's no more love...

Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live. 

-- Norman Cousins

Image:  Google

Somebody asked me:  'Why people lie?'

I said:  "Because they don't think"

Somebody asked me: 'How could he/she do this to me?'

I said:  "By not thinking"

Somebody asked me: 'What should I do now?'
I said:  "hmmmm.." (I can't think of any.  Pray hard and hopefully Allah will show you the way)