Parental Bonding III: Koh Samui

It all started with a simple thought that after visiting a modern city like Hong Kong and a laid-back hometown of mine, it felt like time for me and Linda to embark on another father-daughter trip again. I was thinking that the destination had to be a third-world country, so that Linda would learn that not everywhere in this world was the same as Singapore. It had to be somewhere we weren't familiar with, hence I ruled out Indonesia.

If it was up to me, we would have gone to Clark, Philippines. It's a city with a newly opened Hard Rock Cafe, definitely ticking all the boxes on my checklist. Surianto was keen to go along, but Endrico did his homework and vetoed the idea. Between Clark and Koh Samui, he was of the opinion that the latter was more suitable for kids. 

I was open to his suggestion. One ship, one captain, that's how we always do it. True to our tradition, Endrico became Captain Thailand II (the first one was Hendra, and we went to both Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai). What made it slightly different this round was, unlike the usual trip where the Captain sat back and relaxed, Endrico poured his heart and soul into making it a successful trip. 

In hindsight, it was a good thing. Despite my past experiences, I was never a seasoned island traveler. Always more of a city person, I was out of my depth and would have been an ill-suited planner for this trip. Now that Endrico was taking charge, he did a good job in coming up with an itinerary that I would have never dreamt of, but yet found it enjoyable. Taty soon tagged along with her son, too.

At the airport, right after we landed.

We settled our tickets back in August 2025. About three months later, at 7 AM, we were already on our way to Koh Samui. We arrived early and the first thing we saw, the airport, impressed us very much. It was nothing like any airport we had seen before. Koh Samui International Airport had an open-air concept that made us feel like passing through a series of connected huts instead of one proper building!

The kids posing nearby Daybreak Villa. 

The Airbnb pick-up guys were there to greet us. Oh yes, while I am always a hotel person, Endrico is a big Airbnb fan, so he'd naturally go for it. The Daybreak Villa he rented was not only brilliant, but it had a beautiful view as well. Both adults and kids loved it. But since we arrived 8:30 AM at the doorstep, we couldn't check in yet. After leaving our luggages with Nok the Airbnb receptionist, we walked to our first destination: Wat Plai Laem. 

Endrico at Wat Plai Laem.

Under the leadership of Captain Thailand II, we soon lost our way, haha. But Endrico rectified this real quick, and we eventually reached the temple. It was probably Linda's first temple visit, but I reckon she enjoyed feeding the catfish more. That and talking to Yuna, the daughter of Surianto. Throughout the trip, they were inseparable.

Linda and Yuna at the Big Buddha Temple.

Next stop was the Big Buddha Temple. It was so-so only. The staircase was akin to a lightweight version of the one in Leshan, though. We didn't stay long there. I called Grab and got a female driver called Mai, who drove us to KOB by the Sea for lunch. Not exactly spectacular, but it started the precedent: the adults would go for Thai food while the kids preferred Western such as spaghetti and pizza.

The prepaid card!

The restaurant accepted card payments, but it was probably one of a few that did so. I'd soon learn that transactions in Koh Samui were still largely cash only. Determined to try out the QR code payment, when we were at Central Samui, I went through the hassle of applying for a Pay&Tour prepaid card that could be linked to the TAGTHAI app. However, much to my chagrin, most places neither accepted card payments nor displayed the PromptPay QR code.

Dinner at Sunset View Restaurant.

We returned to Daybreak Villa and only went out again to catch the sunset at Taling Ngam Beach on the west side of the island. But since the weather in Koh Samui was always cloudy, we saw no sunset. The dinner at Sunset View Restaurant was pretty decent, though. It marked the end of our adventure on Day One. 

Surianto and the pig of Koh Mat Sum.

Koh Mat Sum, better known as Pig Island, was our first destination on the second day. To get there, we first headed to Thong Krut Pier to board the speedboat. It was a wild ride, and the sea was kind of rough. But if we were ever worried, that feeling subsided when we landed. It was mind-blowing to see pigs of any size, from piglets to full-grown potbelly pigs. My only disappointment was not being able to see the pigs swimming in the sea.

The capsized kayak!

Less than an hour later, we made our way to Koh Tean, the neighboring island. It was so quiet that it was almost like a private island! Endrico went kayaking with her second daughter, but they capsized in two minutes! The second attempt was much more successful. They joined us for lunch afterwards. For such an isolated island, the meal was surprisingly good!

Enjoying the time in Koh Tean.

We returned to Koh Samui right after that. I had the most dreadful feeling during the 16-minute ride. My daughter sat in the bow area with other girls, going up and down as the speedboat bounced over the waves. I was worried sick. One unfortunate bump could flip her overboard, and I couldn't help thinking so. But she was happy, as if she were having the best time of her life.

At Coco Tam's.

Anyway, we made it back safely and returned to Daybreak Villa. It was late in the afternoon when we headed to Fisherman's Village Walking Street. It was like the Thai style of Taiwan's Shihlin Market. The wind was blowing mercilessly the entire time we were there. Nice place, nice ambience. Endrico also secured a strategic spot at Coco Tam's to watch the fire show. Food was great, too. But still, we supplemented it with Taco Bell on our way out, haha.

The viewpoint of Overlap Stone.

Mai was back to drive us around on the third day. We stopped at Lamai Post Office before reaching Overlap Stone. The way up somehow reminded me of the journey to see the Golden Rock Pagoda in Myanmar. It was so steep that it felt like it could go wrong any time. The viewpoint was fine, but the strong wind really added the thrill. I mean, since the security is kind of lacking, any misstep could result in a fatal accident and the relentless wind surely didn't help. 

The Red Temple.

Taty joined us at the Red Temple, which was located just across the street, opposite our starting point. She and her son visited Samui Aquarium and Tiger Zoo, but it had not much to see and she found it eerie to see many tigers pacing restlessly during their visit, so they quickly left. 

Linda in Hin Ta Hin Yai.

From the Red Temple, we went to Hin Ta Hin Yai, which was basically a rocky beach with a standing stone that would remind the adults of something familiar. After that we finally headed to McDonald's for lunch. Next stop was Haven Samui Community Mall, a newer but smaller shopping area. Not much to see there, so off we went to Capybara World Koh Samui. The kids loved it there, but Surianto was probably the most excited one!

Surianto and capybara.

Just like the first two days, we returned to Daybreak Villa to rest. Later on at night, we went to Chaweng Beach Road. ARKbar was an interesting place, but it was too loud for dinner, so we walked a bit and eventually had our meal at Thai Spices. Ordered a crocodile steak but didn't tell the kids what meat it was until they finished eating. They liked it, and much to our amusement, they only shrugged their shoulders after we told them.

At Divas Cabaret.

The main event for the night was Divas Cabaret. Endrico had always been an adventurous father, and he thought it was time for the kids to have their first taste of nightlife, so there we were, watching the performance of the lady boys. I had an initial discomfort, always the case when I watched cabaret shows in Thailand, but with songs like Phantom of the Opera and Dancing Queen, it immediately felt fine. The power of music! It brought us together, regardless who or what we are!

Choeng Mon Beach.

Then came the last morning in Koh Samui. We went for coffee at the Amazon Cafe near our villa, then walked along the tranquil Choeng Mon Beach as we headed back to the hotel. We had a slight detour for a local roadside food vendors and I finally got my chance to scan the PromptPay QR code using my TAGTHAi app! The last 40 baht bought us four sticks of chicken satay. 

Endrico boarding the flight to Singapore.

Packing up and heading back to airport to collect our boarding passes, we were once again amazed by how open the airport was. Very unique, really. The road leading to the departure gates had shops lining both sides. After having our passports stamped, we flew back to Singapore, bringing back with us the good memories of Koh Samui... 

Liburan Ortu Dan Anak Ronde III: Koh Samui

Semuanya berawal dari pemikiran sederhana bahwa setelah kunjungan ke kota modern seperti Hong Kong dan kampung halaman saya yang santai, kini tiba waktunya bagi saya dan Linda untuk kembali melakukan perjalanan ayah-anak lagi. Saya berpikir tujuannya haruslah negara berkembang, agar Linda bisa belajar bahwa tidak semua tempat di dunia ini sama seperti Singapura. Tempatnya haruslah asing bagi kami, jadi saya mencoret Indonesia dari daftar.

Kalau saya yang memutuskan, kami pasti sudah pergi ke Clark, Filipina. Ada Hard Rock Cafe yang baru buka di sana, pastinya memenuhi semua kriteria dalam daftar keinginan saya. Surianto bersemangat untuk ikut, tapi Endrico melakukan riset dan dia memaparkan alternatif lain. Antara Clark dan Koh Samui, dia berpendapat bahwa Koh Samui lebih cocok untuk anak-anak.

Saya terbuka terhadap sarannya. Satu kapal, satu nahkoda, begitulah cara main kami biasanya. Sesuai tradisi, Endrico menjadi Kapten Thailand II (yang pertama adalah Hendra, saat kami pergi ke Chiang Mai dan Chiang Rai). Yang membuatnya sedikit berbeda kali ini adalah, tidak seperti perjalanan biasanya di mana sang Kapten cuma duduk manis dan bersantai, Endrico benar-benar berupaya keras demi suksesnya perjalanan ini.

Kalau dipikir-pikir lagi, itu ada bagusnya. Terlepas dari pengalaman masa lalu saya, saya bukanlah pelancong pulau yang handal. Karena saya lebih suka suasana kota, hal ini di luar keahlian saya dan saya mungkin akan menjadi perencana yang buruk untuk perjalanan ini. Karena Endrico yang mengambil alih, dia berhasil menyusun rencana perjalanan yang tak pernah terpikirkan oleh saya, namun ternyata sangat saya nikmati pula. Taty pun lekas ikut bergabung bersama putranya.

Di bandara, saat tiba di Koh Samui.

Kami membeli tiket sejak Agustus 2025. Sekitar tiga bulan kemudian, pukul 7 pagi, kami sudah dalam perjalanan menuju Koh Samui. Kami tiba lebih awal dan hal pertama yang kami lihat, yaitu bandaranya, sangatlah mengesankan. Sama sekali tidak seperti bandara mana pun yang pernah kami lihat sebelumnya. Bandara Internasional Koh Samui memiliki konsep terbuka yang membuat kami merasa seolah-olah sedang melewati serangkaian pondok yang saling terhubung, bukannya sebuah gedung bandara pada umumnya!

Anak-anak berpose di depan Daybreak Villa.

Petugas penjemput Airbnb sudah ada di sana untuk menyambut kami. Oh ya, walaupun saya ini tipe orang yang lebih suka hotel, Endrico adalah penggemar berat Airbnb, jadi wajar saja dia memilih itu. Daybreak Villa yang dia sewa tidak hanya luar biasa, tapi juga punya pemandangan yang indah. Baik orang dewasa maupun anak-anak menyukainya. Tapi karena kami tiba pukul 8:30 pagi di lokasi, kami belum bisa check-in. Setelah menitipkan barang bawaan pada Nok, resepsionis Airbnb, kami berjalan kaki menuju tujuan pertama kami: Wat Plai Laem.

Endrico di Wat Plai Laem.

Di bawah kepemimpinan Kapten Thailand II, kami tak butuh waktu lama untuk tersesat, haha. Tapi Endrico segera memperbaiki situasi ini dengan cepat, dan akhirnya kami sampai di kuil tersebut. Mungkin ini kunjungan kuil pertama Linda, tapi sepertinya dia lebih menikmati memberi makan ikan lele. Dia juga akrab mengobrol dengan Yuna, putri Surianto. Sepanjang perjalanan, mereka berdua tak terpisahkan.

Linda dan Yuna di Big Buddha Temple.

Pemberhentian berikutnya adalah Big Buddha Temple. Tempatnya biasa-biasa saja. Tangga ke patung Buddha mirip versi mini dari ratusan anak tangga yang ada di Leshan. Tak lama kemudian, kami memesan Grab dan mendapatkan pengemudi wanita bernama Mai, yang mengantar kami ke KOB by the Sea untuk makan siang. Tidak terlalu istimewa, tapi santap siang ini memulai sebuah kebiasaan: orang dewasa memilih masakan Thailand sementara anak-anak lebih suka makanan barat seperti spageti dan piza.

Kartu prabayar!

Restoran itu menerima pembayaran kartu, tapi mungkin cuma satu dari sedikit tempat yang bisa begitu. Saya segera belajar bahwa transaksi di Koh Samui sebagian besar masih menggunakan uang tunai. Karena bertekad mencoba pembayaran kode QR, saat di Central Samui, saya bersusah payah mendaftar kartu prabayar Pay&Tour yang bisa dihubungkan ke aplikasi TAGTHAi. Namun, sangat mengecewakan bagi saya, kebanyakan tempat tidak menerima metode pembayaran kartu ataupun memajang kode QR PromptPay.

Endrico mengambil kuah tom yam di Sunset View Restaurant.

Kami kembali ke Daybreak Villa dan baru keluar lagi untuk mengejar matahari terbenam di Pantai Taling Ngam di sisi barat pulau. Tapi karena cuaca di Koh Samui selalu mendung, kami tidak melihat matahari terbenam. Meskipun demikian, makan malam di Sunset View Restaurant lumayan enak. Santap malam tersebut mengakhiri petualangan kami di Hari Pertama.

Surianto dan babi.

Koh Mat Sum, atau lebih dikenal sebagai Pulau Babi, adalah tujuan pertama kami di hari kedua. Untuk sampai ke sana, kami menuju Dermaga Thong Krut untuk naik speedboat. Perjalanannya cukup brutal dan ombak lautnya pun lumayan tinggi. Tapi jika kami sempat merasa cemas, perasaan itu hilang saat kami mendarat. Sungguh menakjubkan melihat babi dalam berbagai ukuran, dari anak babi hingga babi dewasa yang gemuk. Satu-satunya kekecewaan saya adalah tidak bisa melihat babi-babi itu berenang di laut.

Kayak yang terbalik!

Kurang dari satu jam kemudian, kami menuju Koh Tean, pulau tetangga. Suasananya begitu sepi sampai rasanya hampir seperti pulau pribadi! Endrico bermain kayak dengan putri keduanya, tapi perahu mereka terbalik dalam dua menit! Percobaan kedua jauh lebih sukses. Mereka bergabung dengan kami untuk makan siang setelahnya. Untuk pulau seterpencil itu, makanannya ternyata sangat enak!

Di Koh Tean.

Dari Koh Tean, kami kembali ke Koh Samui. Saya merasakan perasaan yang sangat ngeri selama 16 menit perjalanan itu. Putri saya duduk di bagian haluan bersama gadis-gadis lain, naik turun saat speedboat terguncang oleh ombak. Saya cemas setengah mati. Satu guncangan tak terduga bisa melemparnya ke laut, dan saya terus memikirkan itu. Tapi dia tampak bahagia, seolah-olah sedang menikmati masa-masa terbaik dalam hidupnya.

Di Coco Tam's.

Setelah berlabuh, kami kembali ke Daybreak Villa. Hari sudah menjelang sore ketika kami menuju Fisherman's Village Walking Street. Tempat itu memiliki nuansa Pasar Shihlin Taiwan versi Thailand. Angin bertiup kencang tanpa ampun selama kami di sana. Tempat yang bagus, suasananya pun enak. Endrico juga berhasil mendapatkan tempat strategis di Coco Tam's untuk menonton pertunjukan api. Makanannya juga sedap. Tapi tetap saja, kami mampir ke Taco Bell dan makan lagi saat jalan keluar, haha.

Pemandangan di Overlap Stone.

Mai kembali mengantar kami berkeliling pada hari ketiga. Kami berhenti di Kantor Pos Lamai sebelum mencapai Overlap Stone. Jalan naiknya entah bagaimana mengingatkan saya pada perjalanan melihat Pagoda Golden Rock di Myanmar. Sangat curam sehingga rasanya bisa celaka kapan saja. Pemandangannya bagus, tapi angin kencang benar-benar menambah ketegangan. Maksud saya, karena keamanannya agak minim, salah langkah sedikit saja bisa berakibat fatal, dan angin yang bertiup kencang itu jelas tidak membantu.

Surianto di Red Temple.

Taty bergabung dengan kami di Red Temple yang terletak tepat di seberang jalan dari titik awal kami. Dia dan putranya mengunjungi Samui Aquarium dan Tiger Zoo, tapi tidak banyak yang bisa dilihat dan dia merasa ngeri melihat harimau yang mondar-mandir dengan gelisah selama kunjungan mereka, jadi mereka cepat-cepat pergi.

Linda bersantai di Hin Ta Hin Yai.

Dari Red Temple, kami pergi ke Hin Ta Hin Yai, yang pada dasarnya adalah pantai berbatu dengan batu berdiri yang akan mengingatkan orang dewasa pada sesuatu yang seronok. Setelah itu kami menuju McDonald's untuk makan siang. Perhentian berikutnya adalah Haven Samui Community Mall, area belanja yang lebih baru tapi lebih kecil. Tidak banyak yang bisa dilihat di sana, jadi kami lanjut ke Capybara World Koh Samui. Anak-anak sangat suka di sana, tapi Surianto mungkin yang paling bersemangat!

Surianto dan kapibara.

Sama seperti dua hari pertama, kami kembali ke Daybreak Villa untuk istirahat. Malam harinya, kami pergi ke Jalan Pantai Chaweng. ARKbar adalah tempat yang menarik, tapi terlalu bising untuk makan malam, jadi kami berjalan sedikit dan akhirnya makan di Thai Spices. Endrico memesan steak buaya tapi tidak memberi tahu anak-anak daging apa itu sampai mereka selesai makan. Mereka menyukainya, dan lucunya, mereka hanya mengangkat bahu acuh tak acuh setelah kami beri tahu.

Divas Cabaret.

Acara utama malam itu adalah Divas Cabaret. Endrico memang ayah berpikiran terbuka, dan dia pikir sudah waktunya bagi anak-anak untuk mencicipi kehidupan malam pertama mereka, jadi di sanalah kami, menonton pertunjukan banci. Awalnya saya merasa tidak nyaman, seperti yang selalu saya rasakan saat menonton pertunjukan kabaret di Thailand, tapi dengan lagu-lagu seperti Phantom of the Opera dan Dancing Queen, rasanya langsung jadi asyik. Kekuatan musik! Musik menyatukan kita, terlepas dari siapa atau apa pun kita!

Pantai Choeng Mon.

Kemudian tibalah pagi terakhir di Koh Samui. Kami pergi minum kopi di Amazon Cafe dekat vila kami, lalu berjalan di sepanjang Pantai Choeng Mon yang tenang saat kembali ke penginapan. Kami sedikit memutar ke penjual makanan pinggir jalan lokal dan akhirnya saya mendapat kesempatan untuk memindai kode QR PromptPay menggunakan aplikasi TAGTHAi saya! 40 baht terakhir membelikan kami empat tusuk sate ayam.

Endrico menaiki pesawat tujuan ke Singapore.

Setelah berkemas dan kembali ke bandara untuk mengambil boarding pass, kami sekali lagi dibuat kagum oleh betapa terbukanya bandara itu. Sangat unik, sungguh. Jalan menuju gerbang keberangkatan memiliki toko-toko yang berjejer di kedua sisinya. Setelah paspor kami dicap, kami terbang kembali ke Singapura, membawa pulang kenangan indah tentang Koh Samui...

Time Of Your Life

This had always been on my mind. I had been thinking about it many, many times. But the thought somehow took a back seat, waiting for its right moment. Last week, it resurfaced again at the church – a place that occasionally inspires me – though I couldn't recall what triggered the thought-provoking idea.

You see, for something that can be measured scientifically, time feels pretty fluid. When I was a student in Pontianak, I swear that every year felt very long. But now that I'm a father, it seems to me that my daughters grow up too quickly. Just the other day, my wife posted on Facebook that 12 years had passed since I last carried my daughter in one hand.

I had a similar feeling when I was working in Jakarta. I literally waited for the weekdays to end. Now that I'm in Singapore, I wish I had more time to do things. It got me thinking whether it was due to different cultures and lifestyles. The pace was slower in Indonesia, faster in Singapore. Or perhaps it was simply the time I enjoyed wasting, so that I got busy without realizing it?

I don't know for sure, but I do know this: suddenly a year doesn't feel very long anymore. When I was a kid, it felt like a lifetime to grow into a young adult. But these days, a period of 12 months is very much a blink of an eye. Between work and holidays, all of a sudden, Christmas time is here again. That's how fast it is. As that happens, the kids grow up and the parents grow old. Gradually.

Funny how a year or two of waiting doesn't seem that long now. It's just doable. But for the fact that time passes so quickly, one question becomes obvious and inevitable: given our mortality, how many more years do I have left? It was a question better left unanswered. 

When I was younger, my optimism felt limitless, as if life would go on forever. Now, with age, I find myself cherishing each moment and recognizing the true blessing that time brings. Ultimately, the question I have serves as a reminder to live in the present, focusing on today. Plan all you like for tomorrow, but live for today.

Growing old. From left to right: age 2, 18, 28, 32, 45.

Waktu Dalam Hidup Kita 

Hal ini selalu terlintas di benak saya. Saya sudah memikirkannya berkali-kali. Namun entah kenapa, pikiran itu seolah menepi, menunggu saat yang tepat. Minggu lalu, topik ini terngiang-ngiang lagi saat saya berada di gereja — tempat yang kadang memberi saya inspirasi — meski saya tidak ingat apa yang memicu gagasan yang menggelitik itu.

Begini, untuk sesuatu yang bisa diukur secara ilmiah, waktu terasa sangat fleksibel dan semena-mena. Ketika saya masih pelajar di Pontianak, saya bersumpah setiap tahun terasa sangat panjang. Tapi sekarang, sebagai seorang ayah, rasanya anak-anak saya tumbuh terlalu cepat. Belum lama ini, istri saya menulis di Facebook bahwa sudah 12 tahun berlalu sejak terakhir kali saya menggendong putri saya dengan satu tangan.

Saya juga pernah merasakan hal yang sama saat bekerja di Jakarta. Saya benar-benar menunggu hari kerja segera berakhir. Sekarang, di Singapura, saya justru berharap punya lebih banyak waktu untuk melakukan berbagai hal. Saya jadi bertanya-tanya, apakah ini karena perbedaan budaya dan ritme hidup. Ritmenya lebih lambat di Indonesia, lebih cepat di Singapura. Atau mungkin karena waktu habis karena saya nikmati, sehingga saya sibuk tanpa menyadarinya?

Saya tidak tahu pasti, tapi saya tahu satu hal: tiba-tiba masa satu tahun rasanya sebentar saja. Saat kecil, butuh waktu seolah seumur hidup untuk tumbuh menjadi remaja. Tapi kini, 12 bulan terasa hanya sekejap mata. Antara pekerjaan dan liburan, tiba-tiba Natal sudah datang lagi. Begitu cepat rasanya. Dan seiring waktu berlalu, anak-anak tumbuh besar dan orang tua menua. Perlahan tapi pasti.

Lucu rasanya, menunggu setahun atau dua tahun kini tidak lagi terasa lama. Rasanya bisa dijalani. Namun karena waktu berlalu begitu cepat, satu pertanyaan muncul — jelas dan tak terhindarkan: mengingat bahwa kita fana, berapa banyak tahun lagi yang saya miliki? Sebuah pertanyaan yang sebaiknya tak dijawab.

Ketika saya masih muda, optimisme saya seolah tak terbatas, seakan hidup akan terus berjalan selamanya. Sekarang, seiring bertambahnya usia, saya belajar untuk menghargai setiap momen dan menyadari berkah sejati yang dibawa oleh waktu. Pada akhirnya, pertanyaan saya itu menjadi pengingat untuk hidup di masa kini, fokus pada hari ini. Rencanakanlah untuk esok, tetapi hiduplah untuk hari ini.

Usia yang bertambah. Dari kiri: age 2, 18, 28, 32, 45.

Roadblog101 On AI

My CEO had mentioned NotebookLM to me a while ago. "Good stuff," he said. "Just put your source in, then you can start asking questions or get the AI to summarize it for you." And I suddenly remembered this again when I was cleaning up the apps on my Pixel 10. It was like, "oh, NotebookLM. Let's give it a spin."

At first glance, I wasn't really impressed by the chat feature. It was nothing ChatGPT or Gemini couldn't do. But then I saw the audio overview. When I clicked the play button, I was blown away by what I heard. Not only did it sound so professional, but I was also impressed by what I heard. It was interesting to listen to people discussing what I wrote. If it was a song, it was like hearing a different take or a cover version. 

Excited, I shared it with my high school group. The quick-witted Eday immediately pointed out Spotify as the appropriate channel for this, but I wasn't quite done with my exploration. I soon figured out that the web version had a lot more features than the app version did.

The video overview was really a hidden gem. The ability to generate some visuals in both English and Bahasa Indonesia suited me really well. Before long, a more organized thought was formed. These videos would be distributed through the existing Roadblog101's YouTube channel.

But what about the Spotify idea, though? It was not forgotten, of course. When I had lunch at Mak Nom Nom, International Plaza in Tanjong Pagar, I checked with my trusted AI, Perplexity, how to do the setup. So there I was, one hand holding a spoon and the other on the phone. 30 minutes later, the first podcast was published and shared.

Just like that, Roadblog101 is suddenly available on Spotify. It was no sweat, and the output was outstanding. I mean, it was almost like the good stuff was handed over to me on a silver platter. That's how powerful AI is. Give it some time, and it'll surprise us even more. The question now is, do we want to fear and shun it? Or will we learn and make use of it? The way I see it, you'll have more to watch and listen to, so subscribe to my YouTube and Spotify channels, okay?

Roadblog101 on Spotify.

Roadblog101 Dan AI

CEO saya pernah menyebut tentang NotebookLM. “Bagus,” katanya. “Cukup masukkan sumbermu, lalu kamu bisa mulai bertanya atau minta AI merangkum untukmu.” Saya tiba-tiba teringat lagi soal ini ketika sedang menghapus-hapus aplikasi di Pixel 10 saya. Rasanya seperti, “Oh, NotebookLM. Mari coba.”

Sekilas, saya tidak terlalu terkesan dengan fitur chat-nya. Tidak ada yang belum bisa dilakukan ChatGPT atau Gemini. Tapi kemudian saya melihat fitur audio overview. Begitu saya menekan tombol play, saya benar-benar terkesima dengan apa yang saya dengar. Suaranya terdengar sangat profesional, dan saya kagum dengan hasilnya. Menarik rasanya mendengar orang lain membahas tulisan saya. Kalau diibaratkan lagu, rasanya seperti mendengar versi lain atau interpretasi orang lain.

Dengan antusias, saya bagikan hasilnya ke grup teman SMA. Eday yang selalu cepat tanggap langsung menyebut Spotify sebagai kanal yang tepat, tapi saya belum selesai uji-coba. Tak lama kemudian, saya menyadari kalau versi web ternyata punya lebih banyak fitur dibanding versi aplikasinya.

Fitur video overview ternyata benar-benar permata tersembunyi. Kemampuannya menampilkan visual dalam bahasa Inggris dan Bahasa Indonesia sangat cocok untuk saya. Dalam waktu singkat, pikiran saya mulai tersusun lebih sistematis. Video-video ini akan didistribusikan lewat kanal YouTube Roadblog101 yang sudah ada.

Lalu bagaimana dengan ide Spotify tadi? Tentu tidak terlupakan. Saat sedang makan siang di Mak Nom Nom, International Plaza Tanjong Pagar, saya meminta bantuan AI andalan saya, Perplexity, untuk mencari tahu cara membuat kanal podcast. Dengan satu tangan memegang sendok dan ponsel di tangan lain, saya bereksperimen. Tiga puluh menit kemudian, podcast pertama berhasil dirilis dan dibagikan.

Dengan segampang dan secepat itu, Roadblog101 tiba-tiba sudah hadir di Spotify. Semuanya terasa mudah, dan hasilnya luar biasa. Rasanya seperti semua hal bagus itu disajikan di atas piring perak. Begitulah hebatnya AI. Beri waktu sedikit, dan AI akan kian mengejutkan kita. Pertanyaannya sekarang, apakah kita ingin takut dan menolaknya, atau kita mau belajar dan memanfaatkannya? Menurut saya, kamu akan punya lebih banyak hal untuk ditonton dan didengarkan, jadi jangan lupa subscribe kanal YouTube dan Spotify saya, ok?

The Place We Called Pulau

Today's story began on November 23, 2018. My friend Iwan had an eatery in Jakarta called Kedai 7. He was about to close it and moved to Pangkalpinang, so I organized a movement called Aksi Bela Kedai 7. It was a parody that echoed the political sentiment at that time. The date itself, 2311, could be summed up as 7, a clever reference to Kedai 7. 

I promised Iwan that I would visit him one day, but of course nobody could have seen that life in the time of corona was just around the corner. A few years later, when we exited COVID-19, it was totally a different world. I remember one afternoon when I stood in front of my daughter's primary school. I was going through Google Flights as I waited for her to come out. Much to my dismay, post-pandemic, the flight route from Batam to Pangkalpinang was simply no more.

Aksi Bela Kedai 7 in 2018.

That promise I made could only be fulfilled seven years later. I bought my tickets this year on February 13, fully embracing the fact that I would depart from Batam and fly back to Singapore via Jakarta. Soon it became another trip by Robinson Travel, a micro-travel that brought us to a place I affectionately dubbed Pulau because it was a remote island. Surianto, Endrico and Taty were quickly ticketed, but it would be about eight months later before we had another six people joining us.

But it wouldn't be an Indonesian domestic flight if it didn't throw us a curveball. We received the news that our flight from Batam had been postponed to a later time. Just when we thought it couldn't get any worse, we received another news that the same flight was cancelled. We must now fly to Jakarta before connecting to Pulau! But it was too much effort to make a last-minute change, so we went through the motions.

Half way in Jakarta.

Surianto, myself and Endrico hung out in Batam, enjoying the food ranging from fried kway teow, chai kue, nasi Padang, satay Padang and sweet martabak. The next day, we met Taty at Hang Nadim Airport in Batam while other friends such as Alvin, Parno, Susan, etc. had already made their way to Pulau and spent their afternoon exploring. We arrived just in time for dinner. Iwan, the host, wasted no time in introducing us to the pride of Pulau: saucu, the roasted pork!

Dinner at RM Ali.

The first kilogram of saucu was finished at RM Ali (Chau Bok), a popular local restaurant that also served mei cai kou rou (梅菜扣肉). I personally loved the veggie fried with pork skin. Kinda unique and very delicious. After that, we drove around at night to see the city. It occurred to me that Pangkalpinang was slightly bigger than Sei Pinyuh, the hometown of Hendra Wijaya (a friend who went to Singapore for the first time last year), but clearly less advanced than our hometown Pontianak. It didn't even have a mall!

The first night ended after a quick drink at Bangka. Lingga, an old friend of us that we hadn't seen for God knows how long, surprised us by downing almost three bottles of beer by herself, a feat that she would repeat on the following night. The second surprise came from Parno. Iwan's friend Ah Fung, nicknamed Black, has a wife who looks uncannily like Wiwi and Parno was the first to notice! 

Buying our supply of traditional cakes. 

The next morning, around 8 AM, a Hiace van arrived to pick us up soon after we did our postcard tradition. Then we headed to Anggrek Restaurant to pick up our host. We had breakfast at Bakmi Afui, where Iwan ordered all the menus for us to try. If not for Endrico, he would have ordered 20 plates of noodles for us, too! Good stuff, though. After that, we stopped for traditional cakes before making our way to Sungailiat.

At Pagoda Nusantara.

The first destination was Pagoda Nusantara. It had been closed for a long time, so our host was equally surprised that it was actually open. As a matter of fact, we were the only visitors there. The road that led to the Pagoda was so bad and steep that it was a miracle our Hiace could actually reach the summit. But it was worth it. The view there was quite beautiful, as nice as it could be for a secluded local attraction.

At Pauw's in Sungailiat.

From there, we went to Pauw's, a famous coffee shop in Sungailiat. It reminded me of the similar setup we visited in Chiang Mai. The food was good and cheap. I liked the fish soup that had a tinge of sour taste. It was brilliant. The fish maw soup, wanton soup, beef kway teow and crab porridge were nice, too. The crab meat toast was unusual, but was still all right. 

The crucifixion. 

The next stop right after that was Taman Bintang Samudra. It was a nice surprise, something I didn't expect from Pulau. Its interpretation of Via Dolorosa, also known as the Stations of the Cross, is of international standard. The first station was so artfully done that I was convinced we should continue walking. The Golgotha replica somehow reminded me of the Giant Buddha of Leshan. It carried a similar colossal vibe, though not as old or as historical.

The ladies in Rambak Beach.

Rambak Beach was the final tourist spot we visited for the day. When the rest headed to the sandy beach, I accompanied Alvin while sipping from a fresh coconut. Only when his chiropractic client arrived did I join the other friends to sit on the boulders and munch on our first half a kilogram of saucu for the day. 

The live perfomance. 

We returned to Pangkalpinang before sunset, bought our fair share of Bangka snacks from Godai Sejiwa, then freshened up at our hotel before going out again for dinner, this time at RM Sefo. The place was awfully quiet for a big restaurant, just us and another table, but it featured a stage where everyone could just get up and sing. The pig head skin (豬頭皮) was exquisite! Before the food came, we opened the last half a kilogram of saucu. At the rate I ate, I personally think I had finished up my lifetime quota of saucu!

The last group photo at Kopi Sejati.

But all good things must come to an end. The next morning, we went to Kopi Sejati for breakfast and our time in Pulau was up. We flew back to Jakarta and, since we had enough time, we went to PIK to eat Ou Kie, the famous noodles from our hometown. Mul AW came to meet us while we were at Aming Coffee. After that, we returned to the airport and headed back to Singapore.

With Mul AW.

Overall, it was a fun trip filled with laughter and togetherness. I wouldn't call it short. It was a time well spent, one that neither ran its course nor overstayed its welcome. Iwan did a good job as a host and Lingga was a nice addition to the familiar crowd I know and love. To top it off, it was a long-time promise fulfilled, a chapter closed and a new life event cherished...

The Pulau memories...

Tempat Yang Disebut Pulau... 

Kisah hari ini dimulai pada tanggal 23 November 2018. Teman saya, Iwan, memiliki sebuah kedai makan di Jakarta bernama Kedai 7. Saat itu ia akan menutup usahanya dan pindah ke Pangkalpinang. Maka dari itu, saya pun mengadakan sebuah gerakan bernama Aksi Bela Kedai 7, sebuah parodi yang mencerminkan sentimen politik pada masa itu. Tanggal 23/11 sendiri jika dijumlahkan menjadi 7 — sebuah referensi cerdas yang berhubungan dengan Kedai 7.

Saya berjanji pada Iwan bahwa suatu hari saya akan mengunjunginya. Namun tentu saja tidak ada yang bisa memprediksi bahwa kehidupan di masa corona akan segera datang. Beberapa tahun kemudian, saat kita keluar dari pandemi COVID-19, dunia telah berubah total. Saya masih ingat satu sore saat saya berdiri di depan sekolah dasar anak saya. Sambil menunggu ia keluar, saya membuka Google Flights. Betapa kecewanya saya ketika mengetahui bahwa rute penerbangan dari Batam ke Pangkalpinang tidak lagi ada setelah pandemi.

Aksi Bela Kedai 7 in 2018.

Janji yang saya ucapkan hanya bisa ditepati tujuh tahun kemudian. Saya membeli tiket pada tanggal 13 Februari 2025, sepenuhnya menerima kenyataan bahwa saya bisa berangkat dari Batam namun harus pulang ke Singapura lewat Jakarta. Tak lama kemudian, ini menjadi perjalanan Robinson Travel lainnya — sebuah perjalanan mikro yang membawa kami ke sebuah tempat yang saya juluki Pulau, karena letaknya yang terpencil. Surianto, Endrico, dan Taty lekas membeli tiket, sementara enam orang lainnya baru bergabung sekitar delapan bulan kemudian.

Namun tentu saja, penerbangan domestik Indonesia tidak akan lengkap tanpa kejutan. Kami mendapat kabar bahwa penerbangan dari Batam ditunda dari jam satu ke jam lima sore. Saat saya berpikir bahwa situasinya tidak akan lebih buruk lagi, muncul kabar kedua: penerbangan kami dibatalkan. Kami kini harus terbang ke Jakarta dulu sebelum melanjutkan ke Pulau! Namun karena perubahan mendadak akan terlalu merepotkan, kami tetap mengikuti rencana.

Setengah jalan di Jakarta.

Saya, Surianto, dan Endrico menghabiskan waktu di Batam dengan menikmati berbagai makanan — mulai dari kwetiau goreng, chai kue Pontianak, nasi Padang, sate Padang, hingga martabak manis. Keesokan harinya, kami bertemu Taty di Bandara Hang Nadim, Batam, sementara teman-teman lain seperti Alvin, Parno, Susan, dan lainnya sudah lebih dulu tiba di Pulau dan menghabiskan sore mereka menjelajahi kota. Kami tiba tepat saat makan malam. Iwan sebagai tuan rumah tidak membuang waktu — ia langsung memperkenalkan kami pada kebanggaan Pulau: saucu alias babi panggang!

Makan malam di RM Ali.

Satu kilogram pertama saucu kami habiskan di RM Ali (Chau Bok), restoran lokal populer yang juga menyajikan mei cai kou rou (梅菜扣肉). Saya pribadi sangat suka sayur tumis kulit babi — unik dan lezat. Setelah itu, kami berkeliling kota pada malam hari. Saya menyadari bahwa Pangkalpinang sedikit lebih besar dari Sei Pinyuh — kampung halaman Asun (teman kami yang pertama kali ke Singapura tahun lalu) — tetapi jelas lebih tertinggal dibanding Pontianak. Kecuali Transmart, Pulau tidak memilki mal lainnya.

Malam pertama kami akhiri dengan minum santai di Bangka. Lingga, teman lama yang sudah lama tak bertemu, mengejutkan kami dengan menenggak hampir tiga botol bir sendirian — dan ia mengulang prestasi itu malam berikutnya. Kejutan kedua datang dari Parno: istri teman Iwan, Afung (yang dijuluki Black), mirip sekali dengan Wiwi, dan Parno yang pertama menyadarinya!

Membeli kue. 

Keesokan paginya sekitar pukul delapan, sebuah van Hiace menjemput kami setelah kami melakukan tradisi kartu pos. Kami kemudian menjemput Iwan di Restoran Anggrek dan melanjutkan perjalanan ke Bakmi Afui, di mana Iwan memesan semua menu untuk kami coba. Kalau bukan karena Endrico, ia mungkin akan memesan 20 piring mi sekaligus! Sarapannya enak. Setelah itu, kami mampir untuk membeli kue tradisional sebelum menuju Sungailiat.

Di Pagoda Nusantara.

Tujuan pertama kami adalah Pagoda Nusantara. Tempat ini sudah lama tutup, sehingga Iwan pun terkejut saat mengetahui bahwa pagoda tersebut sudah dibuka kembali. Faktanya, hanya kami satu-satunya pengunjung saat itu. Jalan menuju pagoda sangat rusak dan menanjak, jadi benar-benar sebuah keajaiban van Hiace kami bisa sampai puncak. Namun pemandangannya sepadan — indah untuk ukuran tempat wisata lokal yang sepi.

Makan di Pauw's yang berada di kota Sungailiat.

Dari sana, kami lanjut ke Pauw’s, kedai kopi terkenal di Sungailiat. Tempatnya mengingatkan saya pada kedai serupa yang kami kunjungi di Chiang Mai. Makanannya enak dan murah. Saya suka sup ikan dengan rasa asam segar — luar biasa. Sup perut ikan, sup pangsit, kwetiau sapi, dan bubur kepiting juga enak. Roti panggang isi daging kepiting agak unik, tapi tetap oke.

Di bawah salib Yesus. 

Setelah itu, kami ke Taman Bintang Samudra. Ini kejutan menyenangkan, tidak saya sangka ada di Pulau. Interpretasi Via Dolorosa atau Stations of the Cross-nya setara dengan standar internasional. Stasiun pertama sangat artistik, membuat saya yakin untuk melanjutkan perjalanan sampai Golgota. Replika Golgota-nya mengingatkan saya pada Buddha Raksasa Leshan — sama-sama megah, meski tentu tak setua dan sebersejarah situs di Cina.

Di Pantai Rambak.

Pantai Rambak menjadi tempat wisata terakhir hari itu. Saat teman-teman melangkah ke pantai, saya menemani Alvin sambil menikmati kelapa muda. Ketika klien Alvin datang, barulah saya bergabung dengan teman-teman lainnya, duduk di batu besar dan menyantap setengah kilogram saucu pertama kami hari itu.

CP dan Endrico di atas panggung. 

Kami kembali ke Pangkalpinang sebelum matahari terbenam, membeli camilan Bangka dari Godai Sejiwa, lalu bersih-bersih di hotel sebelum keluar lagi untuk makan malam di RM Sefo. Tempatnya sepi — hanya ada kami dan satu meja lain — tapi ada panggung di mana siapa pun boleh menyanyi. Kulit kepala babi (豬頭皮)-nya memang sedap! Sebelum makanan datang, kami membuka setengah kilogram terakhir saucu. Dengan porsi sebanyak itu, saya yakin saya telah menghabiskan jatah seumur hidup saucu saya!

Foto bersama terakhir di Kopi Sejati.

Namun semua yang indah pasti berakhir. Keesokan paginya kami sarapan di Kopi Sejati dan waktu kami di Pulau pun usai. Kami terbang ke Jakarta, dan karena masih ada waktu, kami mampir ke PIK untuk makan Ou Kie, mi legendaris dari Pontianak. Mul AW datang menyapa saat kami ngopi di Aming Coffee. Setelah itu, kami kembali ke bandara dan pulang ke Singapura.

Bersama Mul AW.

Secara keseluruhan, ini adalah perjalanan yang menyenangkan, penuh tawa dan kebersamaan. Saya tidak akan menyebutnya singkat — ini waktu yang benar-benar dimanfaatkan dengan baik, tidak terlalu cepat berakhir dan tidak pula berlarut-larut. Iwan menjalankan perannya sebagai tuan rumah dengan sangat baik, dan kehadiran Lingga memberi warna tersendiri di antara teman-teman lama. Secara simbolik, sebuah janji lama akhirnya terpenuhi, sebuah babak ditutup dan kini menjadi kenangan berharga dalam hidup…

Kenangan di Pulau...