All is ruin from old centuries ago. Only I left to wonder why all is left in ruin. This place is so majestic and serene. Pretty calming, I must say. But looking at how bad the shape of Buddha statues here, which was caused by the war between Burma and Thai centuries before, I start to wonder whether passion of war and conflict is as old as the human being itself.
Then I look at the girl next to me, who would fly across to Bangkok just to be with me and for whom I flew to Beijing 2 years ago. I looked back at the ruin and place my gratitude back to the hand of nature who has given me love and friendship that i believe will pass the test of time.
No more anger and sadness. Just gratitude. Like the students who prayed all their heart in front of Buddha statue and send their gratitude for the good mark they will have ahead.
This morning, I woke up with this song being played through iTunes radio. I scrambled for words but nothing come out but the old memory of mandarin songs I used to hear back then. When all I hear was Mandarin Songs belong to JJ Lin, Lee Hom or Jacky Cheung. All the good old sounds.
And this song clearly has that good old sounds. Very gentle, melancholic but sweet. It brings sweetness to my memory, the very same memory when I still learn Mandarin in early stage because I like it so much. My bad, though, I didn't manage to master it. But above all, the good days were just gold. Just like this melancholic song by Wei Chen called only love to half..
The lyrics is below:
魏晨 - 只爱到一半
现在我们已经不再联系 | xiàn zài wǒ men yǐ jīng bù zài lián xì
过去的一切已经变成回忆 | guò qù de yī qiè yǐ jīng biàn chéng huí yì
无意间听到你最爱的CD, | wú yì jiān jiàn xiàn tīng dào nǐ zuì ài de CD
勾起了曾经的点点滴滴 | gòu gōu qǐ le liǎo liào céng jīng de diǎn diǎn dī dī
时钟会一路走下去不会停 | shí zhōng huì yī lù zǒu xià qù bù huì tíng
昨天像一部还未放完的电影 | zuó tiān xiàng yī bù hái wèi fàng wán de dí diàn yǐng
感动的对白永远是I Love U | gǎn dòng de dí duì bái yǒng yuǎn shì I Love U
我想我可以 不露痕迹默默爱着你 | wǒ xiǎng wǒ kě yǐ bù lù hén jī mò mò ài zhe nǐ
我们的爱 只爱到一半 | wǒ men de ài zhī ài dào yī bàn
约好的幸福不能靠岸 | yuē hǎo de xìng fú bù néng kào àn
慢慢的习惯 享受着孤单 | màn màn de xí guàn xiǎng shòu zhe gū dān
偶尔也会被寂寞拆穿 | ǒu ěr yě huì bèi jì mò chāi chuān
我们的爱 只爱到一半| wǒ men de ài zhī ài dào yī bàn
手牵手的旅程忘了走完 | shǒu qiān shǒu de lǚ chéng wàng le zǒu wán
曾经的浪漫 已被风吹散 | céng jīng de làng màn yǐ bèi fēng chuī sǎn
埋在心底的遗憾 | mái zài xīn dǐ de yí hàn
时间会替我们保管 | shí jiān huì tì wǒ men bǎo guǎn
Na La La La…
I Love U Forever…
时钟会一路走下去不会停 | shí zhōng huì yī lù zǒu xià qù bù huì tíng
昨天像一部还未放完的电影 | zuó tiān xiàng yī bù hái wèi fàng wán de diàn yǐng
感动的对白永远是I Love U | gǎn dòng de duì bái yǒng yuǎn shì I Love U
我想我可以 不露痕迹默默爱着你 | wǒ xiǎng wǒ kě yǐ bù lù hén jī mò mò ài zhe nǐ
Bravo! Finally some smart guys in the government came to their sense and realize that Indonesia's very own busway could be equipped with E-Ticket. Governor Joko Widodo officially launched the system over the weekend and the system has been operational since 22 January. The new system is applicable in corridor 1 only at the time being and hopefully other corridor will follow soon. The ad goes like below:
This is a smart move to the conventional paper ticket where we have to queue to pay IDR 3.500 everytime we wish to board the bus. It is labor intensive yes, but it shows that the card system used before by Jakcard is not working at all. Such a waste! Since it must be expensive to buy the ticket gate.
In my opinion, the new system is much welcomed. It saves my time and paper. Talking about being "green". What unique about the news system is the card used for e-ticketing. It is not a single card like Singapore's EZLink or Malaysia's RapidKL. Jokowi used the current and increasingly popular EMoney by 5 state and private banks as the card. It is a smart move again since the system has more players and it might be hold accountable since capitalist interest might play. The five emoney used are:
BNI Prepaid BCA Flazz
Bank Mandiri e-money BRI Brizzi
So, what passenger need to do now is to have one of the five and you can enter the platform by touching your card to the machine which is painted in red
Looks easy and it is easy. Touch the card until the light blink GREEN. Push the bar afterward and you can go in easy. Sadly, not many seems to realize the system yet and still queue for paper ticket. So, if you have it already, start using it! It is very convenient. Moreover, many staff are now still on duty to socialize the system so if you are confuse, feel free to ask them.
Venezia is simply breathtaking.. Serene beauty. I was there during its less busy day as it was raining. But still Venezia has all to offer. Her architecture, her churches, her ports, the running rivers inside the city, her gondola, and her mystical majesty.
Walking through the city is fun and magical. The narrow street gave you a goose bump of living in a wonderland. Sadly, all of the city is lit with shop's store and no building escape the architecture of having a shop at the ground floor and maybe apartment on the upper floor.
Good thing that water is still running between all buildings which save the good capitalistic and touristic mode of Venezia. Something that made all your pictures seems to come from a professional photo studio. Yes, Venezia is that beautiful
(me @ Piazza San Marco)
If I have one day to come back to Italy, I will wish to have 3 days in Venezia. That's my wish upon the shooting star
Tonight, I am pretty occupied with the pictures I took from my recent trip. Much to my surprise, the one that caught my attention are those ones I took last year in Samarinda, Banjarmasin and Bunaken. Gosh.. I never realized just breathtaking beauty Indonesia is actually. Okay, lets have a look..
(Sunrise in Banjarmasin)
(Pulau Galang, Riau Islands)
(sunset in Samarinda)
and my all time fave picture is below:
(Sunset in Pontianak )
Should the transportation between Islands is good and well-maintained with good marketing tourism, we could be well the main tourist destination in the world. This country truly has so many thing to offer.. too many, if I may say
I know I should just continue my european travel posts instead of having something else written in the blog. But I couldn't help myself from doing this post. Hahahahaha... talk about self freedom in writing!
This post is written based on my experience coming to Malaysia's Waterfall Hill Temple in Kuala Lumpur. The temple is famous as the center of Thaipusan festival. People from all over Malaysia, if not the world, make their walk to the temple once in every year. They bring with them jar of water and other offerings. The temple is located near botanical garden (one stop before botanical garden with bus no 10 from Komtar).
There are 3 buildings in this temple area and the main one is located at the top of the hill, few hundred meters above the ground. So imagine how difficult it must be to go up to the main temple with a big jar above the head. Because, even without carrying a jar, I was lost of breath good couple of times.
What stole my attention is actually the proverbs placed in the stairway all the way to the main temple. Someone was smart enough to realize that support, encouragement and appreciation are all what people need to climb to the top.
and the encouragement goes in the pictures below
They are nice right.. and I am so glad that I chose to go. To wherever my journey takes me ^^
My trip to malaysia this time is a proper one and not for stop over only. I managed to visit several places such as langkawi, Penang, capital city kuala lumpur and the old town of Melaka or Malacca.
The biggest lesson learnt is the government. If the government knows what they are doing, they could do it right. Or they could do it all wrong.
Take for example the transportation system in kuala lumpur. I am so envious of all the public transportation provided there. The citizen has access to various busses and trains. Note for the train though, it is not yet integrated. KL Sentral monorail station is not integrated to KL Sentral main station which made me has to walk to different building when I have to take LRT (Light Rapid Line) or commuter line to Kajang where my friend lives. Nevertheless, the system IS THERE! Although it is not perfect (yet, they're still building it), but at least the government seems to have enough sense and realization that it is their responsibility to provide good transportation for its citizen and tourist if I wanna say.
(free hop-on bus in Penang)
Cause I remember a saying that goes "the sign of developed country is not where the poor has car But the rich takes publik transportation".
Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur seems to try to live up the idea. Sadly, not Jakarta. It is very ironic in one way or another that when I am admiring the public transportation in kuala lumpur, Jakarta is declaring state emergency because of major flood. The city was down! Oh, how much I wish my country has enough sense and responsibility over their desire for corruption.
Look at here. Even the airports are nice. The bathrooms are well-maintained and clean. Not like Soetta. Hope, the renovation will bring good things. Because compare to Malaysia's various airports (KLIA, Subang, LCCT, Langkawi and Penang International Airport), Indonesia should really ashamed of herself calling it the big economy of Asia and the main tourist destination.
Listen my Indonesia, you have the same if not a lot more tropical destination that is beautiful beyond words. You can build funicular to Mount Bromo like Malaysia did with their Penang Hill. You can take a brave move and build cable car in Mount Jayawijaya if you wish. You can maximize the potential of numerous diving spot with good access and lovely public transportation. Look at Thailand with its new line of super VIP bus to Chiangmai. Or what is basic, build your railway system so we can travel far more easier.
(the que and passengers' arrangement in Langkawi Cable Car)
(the railway to the top of Penang Hill with Funicular)
Here, tourism is packaged nicely. Nicer than I ever thought. You know what that means? More tourist coming cause what they want is a leisure and not a hardship like what you place now to your own citizen. Follow the footstep of Malaysia with their tourism board. You will be surprise on just how a little packaging will change the tourism course.
And Look back at Habibie, he has a dream of making CN250 as main public transport between the islands. Try bring that back and I am sure we will be less complaining. Like I don't have much complain about the safety of Malaysian Taxi. I know I am safe in their hand though sometime they charged me over price and refuse to put on meter. Still, I wish to applaud the new Jakarta government for trying to improve the service quality of trans Jakarta by viewing the schedule and where the bus is currently located in the screen (i know not all bus stops... dududududu). And for allowing us customer to top up our JakCard in the bus stop and not only in Bank DKI like you previously ruled out.
(the information of busway schedule in Halte Jati Padang - Corridor 2)
Indonesia, wake up! Be strong and have your senses back to your heart. If Malaysia and Thailand can provide what they are now providing their citizen and in their tourism world, you can as well.
So, Indonesia.. Will you cradle us in nice transport and tourism like many countries in the world do?
Romeo and Juliet, the most tragic love story dubbed my many, was written by William Shakespeare with the city of Verona as its background. There, lived a young couple by the name of Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet who tragically fall in love with each other and died next to each other. Some noted, they fight against time to prove that their love can last forever.
Of course, as a young girl, i dreamt of going to Verona. I wanted to visit Juliet's house and to standing in the balcony acted like a girl waiting for her Romeo. So, it makes absolute sense that Verona should be on my list to visit.
I boarded the train from Milano Centrale to Stazione Porta Nuova Verona. We went to the station at 9.00 and the only train left was the 11.25 regular train. So, that's our choice. Just 30 minutes before boarding, all of a sudden, the train was cancelled! WHAATT??!! This is what we face with Italian train system. Good thing we checked the board like every 10 minutes but still, it piss us off. We run to the bibliegetti, or the ticketing office to renew or change our ticket. And there was a long que! perfect.. just perfect.. Good thing that we can upgrade our class to freccabianca which departed 10 minutes. Bad news was we have to pay more. But whatever.. as long as I could get to Verona, few more Euros should be fine..
The travel to Verona with freccabianca took around one hour. We arrived there and greeted with cold weather. No one to ask where to go but we finally found our way. First, we bought our bus ticket in the station's tabbaceria or tobacco store. Then we headed to the bus stop just in front of the station. We took bus no 12 to the central (no 11 and 13 also went there but we didn't managed to get on the bus).
It was just like 15 minutes, or less, to the central of the city called Arena. Arena is the smaller and less exotic version of Rome's colloseum. It was in ruin but in the day I went there, it would be used as venue for Christmas concert. So we concluded that the inside would not be as bad as Colloseum.
We headed straight to Juliet's house which located in Via Capello. From Arena, took the road on the left that heads to Via Capello. Walk straight up along the shopping street until we find Piazza delle Erbe. Turn right and the house of Juliet is less than 100 meters away on the left side. The sign board was dimmed with drawing but we knew right away because many turned there as well.
Upon entering Juliet's house, we never expected it to be so small. The balcony is small too. But whatever. I was in Juliet's houuuseee... hahaahahahaha...
In front of the house, there is Juliet's statute in gold. People said that if we rub her breast, we will be destined to come back to Verona. But I didn't do it because after looking at a young man doing it, I lost all appetite to do so. Heheheheeh.. Another thing that fascinated me is the locked hanged in the door of Juliet's backyard. According to the people there (again), they are the symbol of love birds who wish their love to be locked forever. After my journey in Paris, I learned that this tradition also exists in France with the same meaning. So, Seoul! You are not the only one with the love-lock tradition.
As I learned more afterward, the balcony was not built until later in 1930s. Only the bedroom of Juliet is actually most recognized by people because it is featured in the classic Romeo & Juliet's movie by Zafirelli. I love that movieee... but sadly not as much as I love Leonardo DiCaprio's one. hehehehehe..
Aside from the bed, balcony, breast and lockets, Casa di Guiletta is the home to letters addressed to Juliet. If you ever see the movie called "Letters to Juliet", that's one of the prime sample. The tradition, as many said, started in 1930s when many sent letters addressed to Juliet telling her their love story. To be honest, I sent mine as well. I wrote it on the train to Verona, telling Juliet about one long lost love who never seems to fade away. I just wish one could hear.. Whether it is Juliet or her Romeo..
Romeo's house, not like Juliet's, is not open for public. There I learnt that Romeo and Juliet existed in past as two separate personalities coming from the house of Capulet and Montague. Shakespeare took the liberty to develop a story from their names regardless the fact that there was nothing happen between the real Juliet and Romeo in their lifetime. But who cares? Many was captured anyway..
Just like me.. But Piazza delle Erbe was the one that captured my heart. It is a very nice piazza, with romantic restaurants surrounding its clock tower. So romantic, so beautiful... and with all the street performers, I feel the classic European atmosphere. Oh Romeo, I am in love with your Verona..
