Finally Woken Finally Woken A look into Scotland from a stranger's eyes. An Indonesian stranded in Aberdeen and has to deal with Scottish people, accent, weather, food, and football. Also a look into Indonesia from 12,000km away. Articles
Bloody Eejit
2008-03-15 08:45:00 My friend Anja has just arrived from Holland a couple of months a go. She learns that even though she speaks impeccable English, she still can't understand what Scottish people say half of the time. Well I couldn't blame her, I've been here for over 8 months and I still don't get it sometimes. And even though I've known Stuart for several years, there are times I have to ask him to repeat what he's saying, especially when the weather gets too cold and it freezes the tiny cells in my brain. One time some guy was trying to sell something over the phone and I had to stop him by saying I'm not Scottish and his accent was too strong and I had no idea what he's saying. He took it hard and put the phone down without saying anything more.Well I found few Scottish dialects as below. Let's see if I could remember to use them sometimes. Blether (ble-thir): Dialect, chiefly Scot - n. 1. person who chatters incessantly; one who babbles on and on ("That wee yin o' yours is an awfy ble... More About: Bloody
On Anonymous Bloggers (2)
2008-03-09 16:07:00 There was a big hoo-ha a while a go when Fatih raised an old issue about anonymous blogging. He particularly dislikes those who blog anonymously on sensitive issues, like politics or religions, and suspect that they have hidden agendas. Fatih's post generated ripostes and comments from expats in Indonesia.Unspun, stands firmly behind Fatih, showed how bad anonymous blogger can be, by clipping an article from The New York Times about a suicide of an advertising agency's creative director in Chicago, allegedly after couldn't handle the harsh criticism from AgencySpy and AdScam, two blogs written by advertising industry insiders. clipped from www.nytimes.comVisitors to AgencySpy and AdScam, two sharp-tongued blogs written by advertising industry insiders, posted comments blaming the sites for contributing to the suicide late last month of Paul Tilley, 40, the creative director of DDB Chicago.In so doing, bloggers and their readers added another chapter in a long debate about how,... More About: Writing , Bloggers , Anonymous
Kilt
2008-03-08 21:19:00 One of the Scottish national symbols is kilt, a traditional garment of modern Scottish and Celtic (more specifically Gaelic) culture typically worn by men (from Wikipedia).clipped from www.macgregorandmacduff.co.uk The original kilt was known as the feileadh mhór (philamore) or "big wrap". After the ban and during the 1800s the kilt evolved into something like what we wear today. This is known in Gaelic as the feileadh beag (philabeg) or little wrap.The top and bottom parts were separated, the top half (the plaid) being worn over the shoulder and detachable for comfort. The bottom part was now tailored with sewn in pleats but no hire companies were on the horizon just yet.Originally the apron of the garment (the front part) was left unattached but one story, possibly apocryphal, has it that during a visit by Queen Victoria kilt wearers were subjected to strong winds revealing to her majesty what was worn underneath! Perhaps that's why she became so fond of Scotland... More About: Kilt
The Fake Trade
2008-03-05 22:09:00 The Fake Trade , a documentary by Channel 4, written and directed by Nick Hornby (yes, the author of Fever Pitch, About a Boy, and High Fidelity), was aired on Monday night, 3 March 2008. It took us to see the inside of the counterfeit industry.The documentary opened with BASCAP arranging the biggest anti-counterfeit conference, and it showed some seized counterfeit products like tea (found in Sweden, sent from US through Korea, made in China - or something like that, it's like a tangled web when the guy tried to describe the supply chain), fake mobile phone (real case, fake components, fake invoice), counterfeit German cigarettes, and fake Durex condoms (this is very frightening as Africa was the end point of sale. Imagine if the condom has tiny hole, and is used by HIV/AIDS patient).But one thing that freaked me out the most was fake egg! The guy in the documentary showed how he create this bizarre product, made from toxic ingredients (like gelatine, benzoic acid, alum, and others...
Shortbread, Oatcake, and Rowie
2008-03-03 17:58:00 Shortbread is a Scottish-origin biscuit which is made from white sugar, a lot of butter, and plain white flour. These sweet cookies are usually served with tea (hot tea, I may have to add, since for Asians tea sometimes is served cold) in the afternoon, or for a snack.Due to its popular demand, shortbread is also made in other countries like Denmark and Sweden, but of course the Scottish version is the most popular one.Walkers Shortbread Ltd is Scotland's largest shortbread exporter, and thank to them, you could find these cookies in Jakarta, at least I've seen them displayed in Sogo supermarket. Dean's is also another nice brand. But of course the best shortbread I've ever tasted would be Stuart's grandma's homemade ones!Oatcakes are made almost entirely of oats and make the perfect accompaniment to soups, meat and fish dishes. They are also can be served as snacks, paired with butter, cheese, continental cold cuts or pâté as well as marmalade, honey and preserves. Both Walke... More About: Kitchen Confidential
What A Difference A Nationality Made? (3)
2008-02-29 08:48:00 There are two occasions which urged me to think seriously about giving up my Indonesia n passport and becoming a UK citizen. One of my friends asked if we're interested in going somewhere on Easter break, and she quite fancied Switzerland and Austria. While another one immediately said yes, I had to tell her that it's not that easy for Indonesian. We can't just hope in the plane and fly to European countries. The other occasion was when Joan and I were talking about an impulse of spending the weekend, say, somewhere in Portugal, or Italy. I told her, that of course, for Indonesian, we have to plan in at least a month in advance. At least.Being Indonesian, we are only allowed to set our foot into 11 countries without visas. For other countries, we have to embark on a long journey of collecting necessary documents and submit them to embassies, just to prove that we are worthy human beings who will not become burdens for them when we land in their precious countries. UK embassy in I... More About: Travel , Made , Difference , Expat
Animal Cruelty on Lobster
2008-02-28 09:01:00 We went to The Prime Cuts last night with another couple, and the restaurant specialties are steak and lobster. Nearby the maître d' stand there was a big tank parading huge, healthy lobsters (thank God they did not show live cows too). I asked one of the staffs when we were collecting our coats back, if the lobster are for a show or they actually use (cook) them. She said that they do use the lobster in the tank if someone orders it. But the patrons are not allowed to pick the lobster by themselves.Why?Because it's considered as an animal cruelty.So you can order the lobster, but you can't point one of the inhabitants in the tank and tell the chef that you specifically want that lobster on the left corner because it looks fresher and bigger than the others!This triggered my curiosity so I went for a research and found that scientific evidence showing lobsters feel extreme levels of pain when cooked to death, and there has been big debates about the most humane way to kill them. ... More About: Animal , Lobster , Cruelty , Animal Cruelty , Kitchen Confidential
Irn Bru
2008-02-25 14:33:00 Scottish people are very proud of everything they have, so imagine when I tell them that Irn Bru tastes like Fanta Orange to me!Irn Bru (pronounced iron brew) is carbonated soda drink, made by A.G. Barr plc, a soft drink manufacturer from Glasgow.clipped from en.wikipedia.orgIrn-Bru is famous for its eccentric bright orange colour (something it shares only with the glucose drink Lucozade). The formula for Irn-Bru is a closely guarded trade secret, known only by two of Barr's board members, with a written copy held in a Swiss bank-vault.[1] As of 1999 it contained 0.002% of ammonium ferric citrate, sugar, 32 flavouring agents (including caffeinequinine) and colouring (E110, E124). It is advertised as having a slight citrus flavour, but many have differing opinions of the exact taste of Irn-Bru. One of the key ingredients is said to be barley while another rumour holds that seaweed is a major contributor to the taste. and The drink has been the most popular drink in Scotland, outsell... More About: Kitchen Confidential
What A Difference A G'Day Makes
2008-02-25 10:07:00 The Sunday Times Magazine yesterday featured an article about more and more Britons are emigrating to Australia. I have found several interesting facts that I will share with you.Australia now becomes the most popular destination for British emigrant, and British people now make up almost a quarter of foreigners applying for Australian citizenship. ButNot so long ago the British and Irish were forced or bribed to go there. From the day the first white settlers landed in what became Sydney in 1788m through to the early 19th century, Australia was a huge prison, the bloody and terrible terminus for thousands of British and Irish convicts, most transported for petty crimes, such as theft and prostitution.The former prime minister, John Howard, when campaigning for the second time, was hit by his past as the news revealed that he is a descendant of convicts (what did they expect, that he was somehow linked to Mary of Scot?). But according to Ausdag, the number of free-spirits who migrat... More About: Difference , Expat
On Anonymous Bloggers
2008-02-21 10:18:00 Since last week I have been following closely the intense debate among expats in Indonesia about anonymous blogger, an issue raised by Fatih Suyud when he awarded Rob Baiton as the blogger of the week and praised Rob as one of the few Western bloggers who reveals his own true identity. Fatih actually has written a lot of postings about what he calls ghost bloggers - 7 actually including the Rob Baiton's posting - but this time he has successfully attracted many comments and ripostes, perhaps because he specifically targets 'foreign expatriates who blog on Indonesia' under the pseudonymous.Unspun reacted at the same day, and clipped Fatih's post on his blog and said that he thoroughly agrees with Fatih. John Orford, Jakartass, Oigal and Treespotter contributed their thoughts on this issue on their own blogs as well as left passionate comments on each other's respectively. Oigal was the first one to react at Unspun's, saying that he "will declare my real name and KTP the moment ... More About: Bloggers , Anonymous , Expat
You Know You're in The UK When...
2008-02-18 08:25:00 I was ordering a new wardrobe at John Lewis. It's sort of custom made; we could choose size, colour, model, and additional bits according to the given catalog. After settling all the major parts, like size and colour, I began adding the elements like lights, drawers, and tie hangers. The cheery shop assistant happily took notes and presented the price for each item.Up to the point where I told the her that I wanted to add the pants hanger. She looked at be, bewildered."Pants hanger?""Yes, please.""I don't think we have it.""Oh yes you do." I opened up the catalog and showed it to her. "Here. Pants hanger, for 5 pants.""OH!" she chuckled. "You mean trousers hanger!"This time it was my turn to look at her, "Yes, trousers hanger. What's the difference?""I thought when you said pants, you mean underwear.""Huh?""Here we say trousers, love. Not pants, like in America."Then I realized that I have made the same comment at Jakartass' last November and he was wondering whether I had dirty... More About: Expat
Dying to Take The Call?
2008-02-17 21:52:00 In Indonesia, we drive cars, motorcycles or vehicles as we please. The police are more interested in keeping everybody driving straight and God forbid if you cross the straight white line (although it's ok to park underneath the sign 'no parking'!). There is no awareness about road safety whatsoever.I mentioned very briefly about drink and driving, but there is more important issue that almost car drivers do in Indonesia: taking calls while driving, and worse, sending and receiving text messages when they are behind the steering wheel.Since 1st February the UK Department of Transport launches a new campaign about the danger of receiving or taking calls when driving.Quoted from The Road Safety Website:It is hard to do two things at once and research has shown that if you are using a mobile phone whilst driving, you are four times more likely to have a crash.In fact, if you use any type of mobile be it hands free or hands held, your reaction times are worse than if you were driving... More About: Dying , Call , The Call
Celebrating Valentine's Day... At The Football Stadium
2008-02-14 17:55:00 When the chairman of the West Sumatra branch of the Indonesian Clerics? Council (Majelis Ulama Indonesia, MUI), Buya Mas?oed Abidin, urged people to stop the Valentine's Day celebration and accused it as a part of capitalist-Jewish conspiracy (see Indonesia Matter's Jewish Conspiracy), 12,000 km away from my home country I get to see how Aberdonian people celebrate it: by having one of the most important football matches in Aberdeen football history, Aberdeen vs. Bayern Munich. Around the city there were several guys walking fast with flower bouquets in their hands, mainly red roses. Clinton Cards, Thorntons, and Ann Summers were swamped with people who were buying last minute's cards, chocolates, and lingeries. But since 3.00 PM they were outnumbered by guys with red scarves. No, the red-scarves men were not celebrating Valentine's Day. They were wearing the Aberdeen FC scarves, and were warming themselves up prior to the kickoff, which would have started in 3 hours. You have ... More About: Football , Stadium
Facebook Can Ruin Your Life
2008-02-11 11:53:00 Isn't it funny that we live behind closed doors but our private lives are wide open to the entire world? We cautiously block the window with thick curtains so people wouldn't see what we are doing. We lock the door so no one could enter without permission. But then we sit comfortably on the settee and pouring ourselves and everything we have got out. Our next door neighbor wouldn't know that I was away for 2 months, back to Indonesia and Vietnam. But the rest of the world can find out easily.But we are not aware that information we share can be used against us. clipped from www.independent.co.ukFacebook can ruin your life. And so can MySpace, Bebo...People will post just about anything on social networking sites. And the information can be used against them. David Randall and Victoria Richards report Sunday, 10 February 2008 In the judicial backwater of a New Jersey federal court, a case is being heard that nominally affects two families but should also make millions of Britons t... More About: Life , Ruin
Deep Fried Mars Bar
2008-02-09 15:01:00 Yes, people. Scottish food are not particularly, ideally, healthy. I have mentioned about sticky toffee pudding (STP) in my previous post, a delicious desert which consists of moist sponge cake, dates, and toffee sauce, usually served with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.Another Scottish desert, deep fried mars bar, is also delicious and super unhealthy. I briefly mentioned it in my previous post, Things That We Thought Are Normal, but I think this particular dish deserves its own review.clipped from en.wikipedia.orgA deep-fried Mars Bar is an ordinary Mars Bar fried in a type of batter used in the British Islesblack and white pudding, sausage, and often haggis. The Mars Bar is typically chilled before use to prevent it from melting into the frying fat, though a cold Mars Bar can fracture when heated.Imagine an ordinary Mars Bar chocolate, tossed in a bowl full of batter, then have it deep fried, just like KFC. The batter is crisp, and it keeps all the juicy caramel sauce intact.... More About: Deep , Fried , Kitchen Confidential
Hang out with Fellow Indonesians
2008-02-07 21:29:00 Why do we tend to hang out with other Indonesia ns, and in most of the cases, with only Indonesians , while we're abroad?I didn't spend a long time overseas. I was only in Sydney for 2 years doing my master's degree and grabbing some work experience before heading back to Indonesia. But those 2 years, combined with what I have seen here in Scotland makes me wonder.When I was in Sydney, it was not unusual to see our assignment groups consist of all Indonesian. I remember clearly that I was one of the few - if not the only one - who was in a group which had no other Indonesian fellow students in it. My group consisted of me, an Australian-Taiwanese (who spoke Australian-English with a heavy Chinese accent) and a French. On some assignments which requested more than 3 persons, we had one additional Indonesian(s), but three of us was inseparable throughout the year. Of course I understand my Indonesian school mates' strategy. Handling an assignment was difficult enough, writing it i... More About: Hang , Expat
Bizarre World
2008-02-06 20:37:00 We live in a bizarre world. Forget threesome, forget BDSM, forget orgy, sex toys, or even sex with ladyboy. Nothing compares to these two horny guys when it comes to sex. Even pavement and bicycle can be objects of desire.clipped from news.bbc.co.ukMan simulated sex act on pavement A teenager carried out a sex act and then simulated sex on a pavement after drinking a half bottle of vodka while on medication, a court has heard.Steven Marshall, 18, of Woodstock Avenue, Galashiels, admitted the offence in his home street on 17 June.Selkirk Sheriff Court heard he got into a press-up position on the pavement and started simulating sexual intercourse.Sentence was deferred on Marshall, who takes medication for arthritis. He was put on the sex offenders register.The court heard that on the evening in question motorists saw Marshall lying on his back carrying out a sex act.clipped from news.bbc.co.ukBike sex man placed on probation A man caught trying to have sex with his bicy... More About: World , Bizarre
Sticky Toffee Pudding
2008-02-06 19:51:00 My friend Nirina just tasted her first sticky toffee pudding (STP) today. She has been here for quite sometimes, but has not been properly introduced to the Scottish deserts.No, wait.Just like Malaysia and Indonesia, Scotland and England have never ending debates about everything too. And sticky toffee pudding, a moist sponge cake made with dates and covered with toffee or caramel sauce, is one of the things that both sides claim as theirs.clipped from en.wikipedia.orgOriginsThe dessert's origins are considered a "mystery" according to the gastronomic journal, Saveur; however, the dominant story is that Francis Coulson developed and served this dessert at his Sharrow Bay Country House Hotelin the Lake District in 1960.Coulson's former protégé and chef, Juan Martin, has said that according to Coulson, the original concept for the dessert was derived from the South of England. Indeed this statement was backed up when the hotel researched the origins of sticky toffee pudding before t... More About: Pudding
High Infidelity
2008-02-02 16:16:00 I am sitting comfortably in the living room on this peaceful day, looking out the snow slowly melting, vanishing from the roofs, trees, and roads. I have had just finished a quick online chatting with a dear friend in Indonesia , which leads me to a simple summary: fidelity is almost nonexistent in Jakarta.I have heard so many stories about people I know who are engaged in affairs. I have heard the stories from both sides: from those who should have committed to monogamous relationships but keep playing around, and from those who are officially single but playing around with committed persons. I hear stories about girls being mistresses and guys having one (or more). I hear stories about a guy seeing someone's fiancee, and a girl who occasionally sleeps with a married man. I hear stories about a girl bringing a new bag that cost five times her salary, bought by her married boss. I hear stories of a male colleague who was being sexually harassed by a married lady, and everyone thinks... More About: High , Infidelity
The Singing President
2008-02-01 09:10:00 Simon P., a.k.a Metromad, who usually appears in your Sunday's Jakarta Post, is a proof of life that you should never make a big decision when you're still under Bintang Beer influence. Under a mysterious spell, he went to the music shop, saw the poster of our president's album, Rinduku Padamu (My Longing For You), and decided to purchase it. My my. He was surprised to find out that the CD copies of the rising star has all sold out, so he had to buy the old-fashioned casette copy (he should try The President ial Palace, since they sell souvenirs like black t-shirt with the presidential logo, they might have SBY's CD copies there). Simon P. clearly falls in love with the album cover, but not with the songs.clipped from metromad.blogspot.comWhich brings us neatly onto SBY's magnum opus. Our man stares moodily into the middle distance on the album cover, sensitively strumming at an acoustic guitar. Far from being some etiolated, whey faced, stick thin singer-songwriter though, ... More About: Indonesia , Singing
Céilidh
2008-01-31 23:06:00 I went to my first céilidh (pronounced kay-lee) in Aberdeen last December at The Marcliffe Hotel (which, to me personally, was a disaster, since I wore a long ball gown that sweeps the floor, very glamorous for waltz but not suitable for Scottish dance which involves lots of bounces and skips and takes so much energy, so instead of focusing on the dance, I was busy trying to keep my gown off of floors so no one incidentally stepped on it), and there is another one coming at the Hilton Treetops Hotel in February. Ms. Young from Outpost Aberdeen sent out an email informing this upcoming event, as quoted:A céilidh (gaelic word) was traditionally a gathering organized in someone's home during the dark winter nights in the Highlands and Islands. Within every community would be a storyteller and musicians, and they would perform impromptu at one of these gatherings. If space permitted there would also be dancing, but this was not quite...
Binge Drinking... In Indonesia?
2008-01-30 10:04:00 Binge drinking is a big problem in the UK. BBC reported thatBritain's binge drinking culture is costing the country £20 billion a year, according to a government report. The study by the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit shows 17 million working days are lost to hangovers and drink-related illness each year. The annual cost to employers is estimated to be £6.4 billion while the cost to the NHS is in the region of £1.7bn. Billions more are spent clearing up alcohol-related crime and social problems.In addition, alcohol-related problems are responsible for 22,000 premature deaths each year. What about in Indonesia ?I have tried to find relevant articles regarding this issue but couldn't find any. From the surface binge drinking is not a problem in Indonesia. Maybe because, first, most of Indonesians are Moslem and alcohol is not allowed (haram), and its distribution, even its content in food, is tightly (*cough) monitored by the government. Secondly although there are local, cheap bra... More About: Drinking
Let It Snow
2008-01-30 08:38:00 It's been a long time since I bitched about Scottish weather. Not because I've had settled here nicely and developed thick skin to bear the cold. Not because I have had run away, back to sunny Indonesia, for almost 2 months so I missed the most miserable weather. But seriously, because since I've got back here in Aberdeen, the weather is nice.Although I still make fashion blunder now and then (the last time was when I thought the weather was warm enough and I still had not gloves, and suddenly it became so windy my fingers were frozen instantly), most of the time the temperature is mild enough I didn't need to wear layers of clothes. There were several occasions that I actually felt warm (!) and had to switch the heater off, and open the windows up.But my luck is running out, as weather forecast predicts horrible weather on the weekend, and it might be snow too!Oh well, let's see whether I'd survive this time! More About: Snow
Suharto seen from Different Angles of Perspective
2008-01-28 13:39:00 Being 12,000 km away from Indonesia , I received the news of Suharto 's at least 8 hours later. Yesterday, as Stuart directly went to sports channel, I went blogwalking and found out that the former Indonesian president died. I immediately sent texts to several friends asking how the situation in Indonesia after the news is spread out. I was thinking it would have created chaos, that people would have started demanding justice, to bring Suharto's children to trial. But no, I've heard my beloved country is officially in a state of mourning for 7 days.Having read John Orford's question whether Indonesians give respect too easily, I continued my blogwalking, and I've found so many (Indonesian) bloggers post about Suharto. I was amazed (and confused?) to read that most of them forgive Suharto and pray for him.Martin Manurung showed interesting differences of headlines on the Indonesian newspapers vs. other international press.clipped from www.martinmanurung.comIndonesian MediaInterna... More About: Perspective
Indonesian Expatriates Forum: Progress Updates
2008-01-26 19:52:00 I'm starting to get some more detailed ideas about the Indonesia n Expatriates Forum that I initiated a week a go. Please take a look, and if you have any suggestion, don't hesitate to let me know, whether through this blog or to my email (finallywoken.blog@gmail.com).As an amateur in the virtual world, I dream big, so big that some of my friends think that it's impossible to do. A single person, initiates a forum to connect all Indonesians around the world? Am I mental?But actually my idea and dream is very simple, and it only takes a willingness to get there. There is no money involved, there is no deadline or time line that I have to obey, there is no failure possibility, there is no feasible risk at stake, so why can't we do it? Look at Expatwomen website, it is initiated by two women. Two. And look at the website now, you'd be surprised that they actually have started it a year a go. (You see, this is a different attitude of Indonesians vs. Westerners, that we are usually s... More About: Updates , Progress
Burns Supper
2008-01-22 17:42:00 We're back in Aberdeen after 6-weeks holiday in Indonesia and Vietnam. The prospect of going back to cold, gray, wet weather wasn't really appealing; especially when we were transiting in Amsterdam and saw outside the window of Schiphol Airport. But surprise, surprise, last weekend wasn't actually that bad. The sun was shining, the sky was clear and blue, except there were no birds were chirping (they must have migrated to warmer lands), and there are no leaves left on trees. And it's very cold.But surely the cold weather doesn't stop people from doing stuffs. And here comes Burns Supper to look forward to.Stuart's grandmother is going to Burns Supper in Sauchen this coming Saturday and invites us to come along. To give me more ideas, Stuart's father showed me the menu example, which is written in Doric, and translated it for me. I forgot the whole thing after 30 seconds, except that every course ends with... what else, whisky!The tradition has been part of Scottish culture f...
Indonesian Expatriates Forum: Looking for Contributors Around The World
2008-01-20 09:45:00 Hello everyone,I just start creating a forum dedicated to all Indonesia n s living abroad. This forum, called Indonesian Expatriates Forum , is developed based on my personal experience.When I moved to Scotland over 6 months a go, I was not well informed about the city's what, who, where, when, and how. I had (still have) to work hard to find my own surroundings, build my own network, and find new friends. Yes, I start meeting new people and have found that there are at least 100 Indonesians living in Aberdeen. But this effort took months and I could say that I've found Indonesian fellows by accidents.Feeling how hard it was to start a new life here in a foreign city with no one to turn to, I have tried to find Indonesian Expatriates Association, anywhere in the world, but couldn't find any. There are several organizations dedicated to mixed-marriage couples, most of them are based in Indonesia, and mostly their mission is to share information and overcome any issues about the mix I... More About: World , Around the world
Tantrum Injury: A Massage Experience in Saigon
2008-01-15 10:35:00 Have you ever been in the situation where you were so mad you did something silly that hurt you back? It happened to me last Saturday in Saigon, which generated a term of tantrum injury from Stuart. Here's the story.After wandering around Ben Thanh Market in a hot, humid temperature to buy oleh-oleh, we ended up in New World Hotel for a drink. After a tiring, serious, deep conversation about conquering the fridge magnet world, where two of the guys were determined to penetrate and be successful entrepreneurs, we decided to go for a massage on the place next door called Le Lai. I insisted very hard that I did not want a naughty massage, so one of the guys went there first to make sure that it is a descent, respectable place. He came back with a good news that it is indeed a nice place, and ladies get 30% discount. Great, let's go! So 4 guys and I went to Le Lai to have a full body massage. The receptionist gave a locker key to each one of us, and explained that guys will get sauna... More About: Travel , Massage , Injury , Experience , Tantrum
Vietnam: What A Difference A Nationality Made (2) ?
2008-01-10 10:26:00 Do you remember my lengthy post about being Indonesian and how I feel that as an Indonesian we are treated lousy by the rest of the world? (click here to read my old posting). Well, the 'belief' sticks in my head strongly, and I saw some more proof the other day that confirmed me to my own core.We know that Bugil's Group's Football Team will play in Saigon this upcoming weekend. Since the beginning we had been toying with the idea of going with them (me being the cheerleader, and Stuart being the player - sort of). But we realize that Stuart will need a visa, and my travel agent said that it would take 5 working days to proceed, and its fee, combined with the total cost we had to spend for the trip, made us decided not to go.Until last Saturday, when suddenly Stuart decided just to go, since he'd feel lonely without his boyfriends. But as a Briton, he needs a visa to enter the country. Usually someone took care of it for him, but since he's no longer working for the company he... More About: Travel , Vietnam , Made , Difference , Diff
On Life, Being Busy, and Move On
More articles from this author:2008-01-07 16:29:00 It's Monday night. I find myself sitting in a big table in Cazbar, in a (not so) quiet Monday night, drinking glasses of good red wine, listening to the good music (although there was one time I raised my eyebrows when they played Wham!'s Wake Me Up Before You Go Go - and was surprised that nobody protested, not even Jasper, the cute bar manager who was sitting next to the player). Stuart was sitting with Jasper, leaving me alone in peace doing my blogs (yes, I have more than one!). Which is perfect because Cazbar provides fast and free wi-fi, and the dial-up internet in my apartment really makes me want to chew my jeweled sandals. They're waiting for Pasky to turn up; and Stuart has started a rumour about him being a Singaporean James Bond. It's yet to be proven, but having known him for a few years, and no one could really tell what he does for a living, it might be true....It's our first quiet night. My weekend started in Surabaya last Friday when my father knocked on my do... More About: Life , Indonesia , Friendships , Move , Busy 1, 2, 3, 4 |
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