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...

The Cashless Society

I have always been a fan of the cashless payment mode. I'm so fond of it that one of my favorite moves is waving a credit card to settle the payment. The freedom of it, so liberating! Carrying so much cash, especially when traveling, is never my thing. 

And the world seems to agree with this, hence the QR code payment. I was too irritated to realize it last year, but looking back, the QRIS at Whoosh's Tegalluar Station outside the city of Bandung was a telltale sign. At that time, I was simply pissed off that the stall didn't accept either cash or credit card in such a godforsaken place!

The awakening time happened in China. During our visit, it was safe to say that cash was overrated. Everything could be paid using Alipay or WeChat Pay. It was crazily practical and efficient. That's when I started paying attention to this QR payment. 

Then came the Vientiane trip a few months ago. The Loca Pay inside Loca app was convenient. After that, right before my trip to Jakarta, I saw this app called Dana appearing on my Facebook. I downloaded it and not only it was useful, but it also saved me from the hassles that might have occurred during the trip if I hadn't had the app. By the time I was going for another trip to JB, I had TNG eWallet ready on my phone. 

Just like I said earlier, I don't like carrying cash. In a situation where I can't use my card, all these QR payment apps help me to achieve what I want. As my credit card is linked to the app, the logic remains the same to me. I'm still paying with my card, not cash. It allows me to use my card, albeit by proxy, but that is just fine. 

It's a different time these days, really. Gone are the days when you had to carry a lot of cash and this change suits me well. Yes, sometimes there'll be extra charges on top of the actual amount, but if compared with paying in cash, that's definitely the price I'm willing to pay. 

Scan and pay!

Dunia Non-Tunai

Saya selalu menggemari pembayaran non-tunai, sampai-sampai salah satu gerakan favorit saya adalah kibas-kibas kartu kredit. Begitu fleksibel dan bebas rasanya. Kalau bawa banyak uang kontan, terutama di saat berlibur, rasanya tidak praktis.

Dan dunia sepertinya sepakat dengan pola pembayaran ini, makanya pembayaran dengan kode QR bermunculan. Saya terlalu jengkel untuk menyadarinya tahun lalu, namun bila saya lihat kembali, QRIS di Stasiun Tegalluar khusus Whoosh yang berada di luar kota Bandung adalah pertanda. Di kala itu, saya gusar karena kedai yang saya hampiri tidak menerima pembayaran kontan dan kartu kredit di tempat terpencil seperti ini! 

Pandangan saya terbuka saat berada di Cina. Selama kunjungan kita di sana, boleh dikatakan uang kontan sebenarnya tidak diperlukan. Semua bisa dibayar dengan Alipay atau WeChat Pay. Benar-benar luar biasa efisien! Dari sinilah saya mulai mengamati pembayaran berdasarkan kode QR. 

Lantas tiba liburan ke Vientiane di pertengahan tahun ini. Loca Pay di dalam aplikasi Loca membuat segalanya terasa gampang. Setelah itu, sebelum saya ke Jakarta, aplikasi Dana muncul di Facebook saya. Saya pun unduh dan terbukti berguna. Saya terlepas dari segala kesulitan yang pasti harus saya hadapi kalau saja saya tidak memiliki Dana. Selanjutnya, sebelum saya ke Johor Bahru, saya sudah menyiapkan TNG eWallet di telepon genggam saya. 

Seperti yang saya ungkapkan sebelumnya, saya tidak suka membawa uang tunai. Dalam situasi di mana saya tidak bisa menggunakan kartu kredit, aplikasi pembayaran QR ini tetap membuat saya mencapai apa yang saya inginkan. Karena kartu kredit saya sudah terdaftar di aplikasi, saya tetap membayar menggunakan kartu dan bukan tunai. 

Zaman sudah berubah. Kita tak perlu lagi membawa banyak uang tunai dan perubahan ini cocok untuk saya. Ya, terkadang memang ada biaya tambahan, tapi bila dibandingkan dengan pembayaran tunai, maka biaya tambahan tersebut adalah harga yang siap saya bayar dengan senang hati. 

Day Trip To JB With Bernard

Bernard is easily one of my closest friends, but as I sat down with him in JB and looked back, I realized that I rarely traveled with him. Granted, we did Jakarta and Batam, but Laos was our farthest trip so far. When it comes to Malaysia, we visited Kuching in 2012. 13 years later, there we were in JB for the first time ever. 

One week before the trip, he checked with me to see if I could accompany him to JB for furniture shopping. I checked with my wife if she had anything planned for family and, since she had none, I said okay. It was also a good opportunity to test out the MVNO data plan I just subscribed to. Lastly, since Loca Pay in Laos and Dana in Indonesia, I also downloaded TnG eWallet for this trip.

Off we went on a rainy Saturday. Once we passed through the autogate in Malaysia, it was time to test the MVNO SIM cards. Eight worked like a charm, but Circles.Life failed. Upon checking with the support team, turned out that my data plan of Circles.Life didn't cover the roaming services, haha. 

First stop, lunch. Bernard wanted to eat Soon Huat Bak Kut Teh in Taman Sentosa. Apparently he was a regular here and I'd learn that we basically followed his usual itinerary. The queue for Soon Huat seemed long, but it was quite fast. The food wasn't that fantastic, I am afraid. Even Bernard said that the quality had dropped, though I'm not sure if he was influenced by the clear pork soup remark that I showed him when I checked in using Swarm. 

At the first shop.

Next stop was the furniture shops. The first one was in Taman Johor Jaya, close to Tebrau. The second shop where we got the recliner sofa, was in Skudai. The testing, at least for me, was quite amusing. The more you got the potato couch feeling, the more you could be sure that it was the one you'd want to buy. Bernard was more systematic. He checked the neck and back support in both sitting and reclining positions. To put it simply, he was more meticulous. 

At the second shop, Art Home Furniture.

Now that we got the sofa, we headed to Hard Rock Cafe Puteri Harbour to see if there was anything new. From there we headed back to Taman Sentosa again, this time we ate at Taman Sri Tebrau Hawkers Centre. It was an old fashioned eatery. Bernard joked that even the signboards were probably older than us. We had crayfish there, which reminded me of the seafood restaurant in Tanjung Balai.

Visiting Hard Rock.

The last thing we did right after dinner was foot massage at Fizzio that is located across the street. Painful at times, but that, perhaps, what the feet and legs needed. After an hour, I finally got a chance to test TnG eWallet. I love cashless payment! Then we made our way back to the border and returned to Singapore...

Sehari Di JB Bersama Bernard

Bernard adalah salah satu teman terdekat saya, tapi sewaktu saya lihat kembali, ternyata kita jarang berlibur bersama. Ya, tentu saja kita bepergian ke Jakarta dan Batam, tapi Laos adalah tempat terjauh yang pernah kita kunjungi bersama. Akan halnya Malaysia, kita ke Kuching tahun 2012. 13 tahun kemudian, kita mengunjungi Johor Bahru untuk pertama kalinya. 

Satu minggu sebelum tanggal keberangkatan, Bernard bertanya apakah saya bisa menemaninya ke JB untuk berbelanja furnitur. Saya konfirmasi dengan istri, siapa tahu dia sudah merencanakan sesuatu untuk keluarga. Berhubung tidak ada acara, saya pun mengiyakan Bernard. Ini juga kesempatan yang bagus untuk menguji data MVNO yang saya beli baru-baru ini. Dan sejak Loca Pay di Laos serta Dana di Indonesia, saya juga mengunduh TnG eWallet untuk liburan singkat ini. 

Lantas berangkatlah kita di Sabtu pagi yang rintik-rintik. Saatnya mengetes MVNO begitu kita melewati pintu imigrasi otomatis di Johor Bahru. Eight berfungsi dengan baik, namun Circles.Life tidak bisa dipakai di Malaysia. Setelah saya tanyakan ke bagian pelayanan pelanggan, ternyata paket data Circles.Life tidak mencakup koneksi internet di luar Singapura, haha. 

Bak Kut Teh.

Pemberhentian pertama, makan siang. Bernard ingin menyantap Soon Huat Bak Kut Teh di Taman Sentosa. Ternyata dia sering makan di sana dan saya lekas menyadari bahwa hari ini kita akan mengikuti rute regulernya. Antrian di Soon Huat cukup panjang, tapi cepat pula pergerakannya. Rasa masakannya biasa saja. Bahkan Bernard mengakui bahwa kualitasnya sudah turun, walau saya tidak tahu apakah pendapatnya itu dipengaruhi oleh komentar tentang sup babi jernih yang saya tunjukkan padanya saat saya menggunakan Swarm. 

At the first shop.

Sesudah makan, tujuan berikutnya adalah dua toko furnitur. Yang pertama terletak di Taman Johor Jaya, tak jauh dari Tebrau. Yang kedua, tempat kita membeli sofa malas, berada di Skudai. Cara kita menguji kenyamanannya cukup menarik. Bagi saya, semakin malas rasanya saya beranjak dari sofa, berarti makin nyaman. Bernard lebih sistematis. Dia memeriksa penyangga leher dan punggung dengan lebih seksama, baik dari saat duduk tegak sampai posisi berbaring santai. 

At the second shop, Art Home Furniture.

Setelah mendapatkan sofa, kita singgah sejenak di Hard Rock Cafe Puteri Harbour untuk melihat koleksi terbaru. Dari situ kita kembali ke Taman Sentosa lagi, kali ini untuk makan malam di  Taman Sri Tebrau Hawkers Centre. Ini tempat makan tradisional dan Bernard bercanda bahwa papan nama penjualnya mungkin lebih tua dari kita. Kita memesan udang karang di sini, menu yang mengingatkan saya saat makan di restoran di Tanjung Balai. 

Visiting Hard Rock.

Hal terakhir yang kita lakukan adalah pijat kaki di Fizzio di seberang jalan. Sakit juga pijatannya, tapi mungkin itu yang dibutuhkan tapak dan tungkai kaki setelah berjalan seharian. Satu jam pun berlalu dan akhirnya saya bisa mencoba TnG eWallet. Saya suka pembayaran non-tunai! Setelah itu, kita melaju ke perbatasan dan kembali ke Singapura... 

A Birthday Trip To Remember

The way it started, I just couldn't help feeling that our trip this round would be different. I mean, we woke up quite early only to be greeted by a message from a friend, bearing the news or her hospitalized husband. It had taken a turn for the worse. As the only one who was around before dawn, I felt obliged to respond as her sounding board.

In all honesty, I don't know if I was any helpful. What I really felt was the mood set by the conversation. The birthday trip we were having suddenly became sombre. It was like, while we were about the celebrate a birthday, one life was probably going to end on the other side. It couldn't get more extreme than this. 

So off we went to Jakarta. The news trickled in bit by bit, each one worse than the last. In the midst of all this, I celebrated my daughter's birthday and mine, binge-watched Cobra Kai, met a friend who does chiropractic. Given my ailing friend's condition, I couldn't shake the feeling that he might pass away any time. It was like, would it happen on National Day? Or on my birthday? Or while we were flying back to Singapore? 

But no, it happened the morning after, when I was getting ready for work. Just like that, a life ended. Two things came to my mind. The first one was George Harrison's life flows on within you and without you. How it rang true. The world goes on. It doesn't stop, almost as if it doesn't care. We're really only very small.

The other was Hamilton's the World Was Wide Enough:

Death doesn't discriminate

Between the sinners and the saints

It takes and it takes and it takes

It was a weird birthday experience, really. I can't say it wasn't a happy one, but it was certainly unforgettable. To me, this was the only birthday when my wife and I ever asked, "what if this happened to us?" It was a stark reminder of our mortality, but also a revelation that, for me, it has been a life well lived. I intend to keep it that way.

The birthday celebration.

Hari Ulang Tahun Yang Tak Terlupakan 

Dari awal sudah terasa bahwa liburan kali ini terasa berbeda. Di pagi buta saya tertegun saat membaca kabar tentang seorang teman yang sedang dirawat di rumah sakit. Kondisinya yang sempat membaik tiba-tiba menjadi parah dan koma. Sebagai satu-satunya orang yang sudah membaca WhatsApp sebelum fajar menyingsing, saya tergerak untuk merespon pertanyaan istrinya yang sedang gundah. 

Jujur saya katakan bahwa saya tidak tahu apakah respon saya ini membantu. Yang justru terasa adalah nuansa setelah percakapan usai. Liburan ini jadi terkesan sedih. Di satu sisi kita hendak merayakan ulang tahun, namun di sisi lain, sebuah kehidupan mungkin akan berakhir. Benar-benar ekstrim. 

Kita lantas terbang ke Jakarta. Kabar selanjutnya pun terbaca, semakin lama semakin buruk. Selagi semua ini terjadi, saya berpesta, menonton serial Cobra Kai, lalu bertemu teman yang membantu meluruskan tulang belakang. Di dalam benak saya selalu terngiang bahwa teman yang sedang koma ini bisa meninggal setiap waktu. Apakah akan terjadi di hari kemerdekaan Singapura? Atau hari ulang tahun saya? Atau saat kita dalam penerbangan pulang ke Singapura? 

Namun apa yang saya cemaskan ternyata terjadi di pagi berikutnya, selagi saya bersiap-siap untuk berangkat kerja. Dan hanya seperti itu, satu kehidupan pun berakhir. Dua hal langsung terpikirkan oleh saya. Yang pertama adalah lirik George Harrison yang berbunyi, life flows on within you and without you. Sungguh benar adanya. Dunia terus berjalan, tidak berhenti, seakan-akan tidak peduli. Kita hanyalah setitik debu. 

Yang satunya lagi adalah lagu The World Was Wide Enough dari Hamilton:

Death doesn't discriminate 

(Kematian tidak membedakan)

Between the sinners and the saints

(Antara orang suci dan pendosa)

It takes and it takes and it takes

(Kematian hanya merenggut dan merenggut)

Pengalaman ulang tahun kali ini sungguh tidak lazim. Saya tidak mengatakan bahwa kesannya tidaklah gembira, tapi yang jelas tidak terlupakan. Bagi saya, ini adalah sekali-kalinya ultah di mana saya dan istri bertanya, "bagaimana kalau ini terjadi pada kita?" Kejadian ini adalah peringatan tentang realita kehidupan kita sebagai manusia. Kendati begitu, lewat introspeksi ini saya juga menyadari bahwa sejauh ini hidup saya sudah dijalani sesuai dengan panggilan hati. Saya akan usahakan agar tetap seperti itu. 

Micro-Travel

As seen from Life Events: Travel, I had been blessed with a lot of opportunities to travel for the past 25 years. My record was about two weeks, such as the trip to China or Europe, but more often than not, I had short trips. 

And recently I came across the terms for it: micro-travel. No, it's different than weekend getaways. Micro-travel is a trip that typically lasts four days or less. This is my kind of trip. And looking back, there's a good reason why!

In order to explain this, let me share with you the problems I faced with long trips: the fading wow factor and the food. I remember the feeling when I first landed in Geneva. It was like, "wow, Europe again. The building, the food, the lifestyle." It was fun to embrace the new experience. But by the tail end of the trip, the last few cities felt the same: old town by the river, etc. And the food! Be it in Japanese or Indian, regardless how delicious the food was, after a week or so, I wished it was something else that I was familiar with.

This is where micro-travel was different. It was so short and concise that it was a time well spent. You didn't have a chance to grow weary of it. By the time you returned from your break, the amount of work piling up for you wasn't that bad, haha. 

Case in point, this year's trip to Seremban. It was a good break. The carefree feeling to be just ourselves again, the excitement of meeting old friends, the food hunting, the exploration into the unknown that we did together, the stories and laughter we shared, it was rejuvenating! And it didn't overstay its welcome.

That's not to say I'm against long trips. They were different kind of fun that came with different set of expectations for us to manage. My point here is more on why micro-travel worked for me thus far. I enjoy speeding through the experience and the outcome of the quick break is rewarding. Instead of seeing things from the same old, same old perspective, it's good to be recharged and refreshed once in a while! That's what I really like!

The trip to Seremban. A micro-travel!

Liburan Mikro

Seperti yang bisa dilihat di Life Events: Travel, saya telah diberkati dengan banyak kesempatan untuk berjalan-jalan dalam 25 tahun terakhir ini. Rekor saya adalah kira-kira dua minggu dalam sekali jalan, misalnya sewaktu ke Cina atau ke Eropa. Selain itu, saya juga sering menjalani liburan singkat yang hanya memakan waktu beberapa hari. 

Baru-baru ini saya menemukan istilah untuk apa yang sering saya lakoni ini: liburan mikro. Dan ini berbeda dengan liburan akhir pekan. Liburan mikro ini biasanya berkisar empat hari atau kurang dari itu. Saya suka ini. Bila saya lihat kembali, ada alasan tersendiri kenapa liburan mikro ini mantap.

Untuk menjelaskan ini dengan baik, mungkin saya jabarkan dulu masalah yang saya hadapi dengan liburan yang terlalu panjang: pudarnya faktor pesona dan juga problem makanan. Saya ingat dengan apa yang saya rasakan waktu mendarat di Jenewa: "wow, akhirnya ke Eropa lagi. Gedungnya, makanannya, budayanya. Wow!" Tapi di penghujung liburan, beberapa kota terakhir terasa sama: pemandangan kota tua di tepi sungai. Dan makanannya! Tidak peduli betapa lezatnya makanan Jepang atau India, setelah seminggu lebih saya merindukan masakan yang saya kenal baik di Singapura.

Dan inilah yang membuat liburan mikro terasa berbeda. Liburan ini singkat, padat dan tepat guna waktunya. Oleh karena itu saya tidak sempat merasakan kelelahan yang timbul setelah berada terlalu lama di suatu negara. Ketika liburan usai, tidak banyak pekerjaan kantor yang menumpuk, haha. 

Contoh terkini adalah liburan ke Seremban. Ini adalah waktu santai yang pas. Selama liburan, saya berkesempatan untuk menjadi diri saya apa adanya, juga menikmati kebersamaan dengan teman lama, eksplorasi makanan dan tempat-tempat baru bersama, bercerita dan tertawa, semua ini sangat menyejukkan kalbu. Tidak ada kesan terlalu lama. 

Ini tidak berarti bahwa saya menentang liburan panjang, tapi perlu saya tekankan bahwa rasa dan ekspektasinya berbeda. Apa yang ingin saya sampaikan di sini adalah kenapa saya menyukai liburan mikro. Saya suka kecepatan dan efisiensinya. Hasilnya pun sangat mujarab. Saya kembali ke realita, tersembuhkan dari kelelahan dan memiliki perspektif yang baru dalam menyikapi hidup ini. Hal inilah yang saya sukai! 

All The Money In The World

It was another Tuesday morning. Just like most of the people from my generation these days, I scrolled the newsfeed on my Facebook immediately I woke up. Soon I found myself staring at all the flags shown under the caption saying countries with lowest inflation rate. Bahrain captured my attention and I did some research on my Perplexity AI. For the Middle East standard, apparently Bahrain wasn't an expensive country. 

What I did just now reminded me of Australia and other countries I visited before. For a country with a currency weaker than SGD, Australia certainly was more expensive. On average, the meal was two times of what I would have paid in Singapore! So, no, Australia, didn't feel affordable. Perth was a nice place, though. And very generous with french fries.

Similar experience was felt in Hong Kong. I definitely felt the pinch the moment I traveled out from Shenzhen. Hong Kong was cramped and expensive. A tiny, costly hotel room as opposed to a much cheaper and spacious unit with living room that I had while I was in Shenzhen. China was generally okay, but Hong Kong was an exception!

India, on the other hand, was very cost friendly for SGD holders. The price of the Uber ride was so cheap that I couldn't help pressing the confirm button. It was the same feeling in Malaysia, especially Ipoh. The price was so unbelievably attractive that I wished I could have ordered ten Grab ride at one go.

Taiwan was also budget friendly. The most memorable moment I had was when I went through the Din Tai Fung bill. It was just about SGD 50. You certainly can't get this price for a family of four if you eat at any Din Tai Fung in Singapore!

Europe was a different ball game, though. The currencies, be it GBP, EUR or CHF, are stronger than SGD. Everything in UK and Western Europe also felt more expensive than Singapore. The time in Europe was one of the few times I felt inferior earning SGD. One consolation I had was the gelato. It was somehow much cheaper in Salzburg!

Brunei is unique because the currency is pegged to SGD at a fixed 1:1 exchange rate. I had this thought that it must be as developed as Singapore, too. Imagine my surprise when I visited the country. It was nowhere close to Singapore and somewhat comparable to Malaysia. I might be biased, but I couldn't shake of the feeling that things should have been cheaper in Brunei. 

Having said that, the rest of Southeast Asia, from Myanmar to Indonesia, was a good place for me to travel. It was so affordable. Good and cheap! Cambodia was probably the only other exception, as KHR had a fixed exchange rate and the country also used USD as a legal tender. When we entered Cambodia from Vietnam, some of us actually paid USD 1 just to use the toilet.

Overall, it's still pretty cool to earn SGD and spend it on another currencies. It was fun to feel like a king. Even when things were much more expensive for us, at least SGD was strong enough to cushion it, haha. That probably explained why traveling was an option, not a luxury...

Uang dan Nilai Tukar 

Di hari Selasa pagi, seperti kebanyakan orang di generasi saya, saya melihat-lihat Facebook begitu saya bangun. Ada satu gambar dengan banyak bendera yang memiliki tajuk negara-negara dengan tingkat inflasi terendah. Bendera Bahrain menarik perhatian saya. Riset pun segera dilakukan dengan Perplexity AI. Untuk ukuran Timur Tengah, ternyata Bahrain tidak tergolong mahal untuk dikunjungi. 

Apa yang baru saja saya lakukan ini mengingatkan saya pada Australia dan beberapa negara lain yang pernah saya kunjungi sebelumnya. Untuk negara dengan mata uang lebih lemah dari SGD, Australia tidaklah murah. Secara rata-rata, harga sekali makan bisa dikatakan dua kali lipat dari harga di Singapura. Tapi Perth enak suasananya. Dan tempat makan di sana sangat murah hati dengan kuantitas kentang gorengnya. 

Pengalaman serupa terasa di Hong Kong. Perbedaan drastis ini dialami saat saya keluar dari Shenzhen. Hong Kong terasa padat dan mahal. Kamar hotelnya kecil, berbeda dengan kamar yang luas plus ruang tamu yang saya tempati di Shenzen. Rata-rata kota di Cina masih wajar harganya, tapi Hong Kong adalah pengecualian! 

Di sisi lain, India sangat terjangkau bagi pemegang SGD. Harga Uber di sana sungguh terasa murah, sampai-sampai saya menekan konfirmasi tanpa keraguan. Sama halnya pula dengan Malaysia, terutama di Ipoh. Harganya selalu membuat saya tertawa dan berharap seandainya saja saya bisa langsung pesan 10 mobil sekaligus. 

Taiwan juga ramah bagi yang ingin berhemat. Yang paling mengesankan adalah restoran Din Tai Fung. Hanya kisaran SGD 50 untuk makan siang. Harga segini sungguh mustahil bagi satu keluarga dengan dua anak yang bersantap di Din Tai Fung Singapura!

Kalau Eropa beda lagi ceritanya. Mata uangnya, mulai dari GBP, EUR atau CHF, lebih perkasa dari SGD. Segala sesuatu di Inggris dan Eropa Barat terasa lebih mahal dari Singapura. Satu hal yang sering terasa di Eropa adalah lemahnya SGD. Satu-satunya penghiburan yang saya temukan adalah gelato. Di Salzburg, harganya dua kali lebih dari Singapura. 

Brunei tergolong unik karena mata uangnya yang dipatok 1:1 dengan SGD. Saya jadi membayangkan bahwa negaranya pastilah semaju Singapura juga. Bayangkan betapa kagetnya saya pas tiba di sana. Negara ini lebih mirip Malaysia daripada Singapura. Saya mungkin bias, tapi berdasarkan apa yang saya lihat, saya jadi merasa seharusnya harga barang-barang di Brunei lebih murah.

Negara-negara lain di Asia Tenggara, mulai dari  Myanmar sampai Indonesia, sangat ramah bagi kantong saya. Murah dan terjangkau! Kamboja mungkin satu-satunya pengecualian karena KHR memiliki kurs tetap dan juga menggunakan USD dalam jual-beli. Ketika kita memasuki Kamboja dari Vietnam, beberapa di antara kita membayar mahal USD 1 hanya untuk kencing. 

Secara umum, pendapatan SGD dan pengeluaran menggunakan mata uang lain memang masih ok. Sedap rasanya saat menjadi seperti raja. Bahkan ketika segala sesuatu terasa lebih mahal, ketangguhan SGD sangat membantu dalam membendung kemahalan yang terasa. Mungkin ini alasannya kenapa berjalan-jalan adalah pilihan, bukan kemewahan... 

The Land Down Under: Perth

When it comes to a family trip, I prefer a destination that is safe and easy. Japan had been visited a couple of times. After COVID-19, we had gone to Switzerland and Taiwan. If I looked around to find some place new that offers the same standard and isn't too far from Singapore, I guess we're left with South Korea and Western Australia. I dislike the Korean food because it feels busy and fills up the whole table, hence Perth became the obvious choice for year 2025.

My wife and I worked on the itinerary. I relied on Wikivoyage, probably for one last time as I had started using AI for the recent Seremban and Laos trips. As l didn't want to drive, I literally opened up the page for each district just to see the nearby places we could visit. I also have a cousin who lives in Perth and didn't mind to drive us around, so he helped adjusting the itinerary for a visit to Swan Valley. 

The last Europe trip included several destinations that were visited for one night only. They were so rushed that it felt like we just passed through. So Perth should be the exact opposite. It had to be nice and slow. It'd be only Perth for nine nights and we'd be staying at the same Novotel throughout the holiday!

Flying to Perth!

And the first night we were there, since we landed after midnight, was pretty much alive! It was about 2 AM on Sunday and people had been partying since Saturday night. My wife and I were surprised to see so many tipsy people, all dressed to impress. Turned out that Murray Street was quite a party area!

Strolling along Elizabeth Quay.

Our Day One began long after sunrise. About 12 PM, we headed to Hay Street Mall. My cousin Win and his wife met us there and brought us to see the Bell Tower and Elizabeth Quay. We hung out and talked a lot while doing a slow walk back to Murray Street. As they had to go back in the late afternoon, we made our way to Chinatown via Yagan Square for early dinner. But it was too early indeed, so we had our meal at Hakata Gensuke instead. 

Having breakfast with Kaung.

Day Two started late, too. I had a breakfast with Kaung, an ex-colleague of mine, then went back to Room 308. Much later on, we took Uber and reached the Blue Boat House around 1:30 PM in the afternoon. After a quick picture taking, we explored Kings Park. It took us quite a long while to get out of the park, so long that we eventually had a late lunch. We returned to hotel afterwards. 

At the Blue Boat House.

On Day Three, we visited AQWA in Hilarys Boat Harbour. It was about half an hour of Uber ride from the city. This attraction reminded me of the original Underwater World in Sentosa. Needless to say, we didn't stay long. The ride back to the hotel was wet and cold. When the rest of the family were relaxing in the room, I took my time to search for post office. For our dinner, we had Vietnamese food. Starting to get sick of fries! When the night came, my wife and I had a glass of wine at the hotel lounge as Audrey slept early. 

The path to the lighthouse. 

We started early for the first time ever on Day Four. From Barrack Street Jetty, we took a bus to Fremantle to catch a ferry to Rottnest Island. The sea was rough! Our island adventure began with brunch at Dome, then we searched for quokka. The animals were cute and could be seen around the island. There was even one under the table when we had our pizza for lunch! The highlight of the day was the journey on foot that brought us to the lighthouse. The view was beautiful. We took the same ferry back at 4:30 PM, but this time it cruised all the way to Barrack Street Jetty. From there, we walked back to hotel.

While waiting for our ferry to Perth.

We went to Caversham Wildlife Park on Day Five. On our way to the park using Uber, I couldn't help thinking that it'd be difficult to get back to the city. But still, it was a problem for later. As of now, we just needed to enjoy the park filled with marsupials and farm animals that included ostriches and camels. The park was all right, but it was interesting to see wild kangaroos outside the park. But the road signs weren't clear. We lost our way home and eventually called Uber to bring us back. Before we called it a night, we went to OZ Dobi Laundromat, had our dinner at Authentic Bites Dumpling House and waited for our laundry at Taning Lemon Tea.

At Taning, while waiting for laundry.

We finally had a proper visit to Fremantle on Friday, our Day Six in Perth. From Perth Underground that was just a walking distance from Novotel, we headed to Platform 7 that is actually located in Perth Station. Boarded the train and half an hour later, we were in Fremantle. First stop: the iconic Fremantle Markets! Next destination, where we had our seafood lunch, was Cicerello's. Then, to cap it off, we had churros at Chocolateria San Churro. When we were back to Room 308, I still had more a plenty of time to chill before I tried out the Comedy Lounge across the street. Loving it! 

Off we went to Fremantle!

My cousin Win and his wife picked us up on Saturday morning. We had our brunch at Folklore, a popular local coffee shop. Tried toast with Vegemite for the first time ever! Then we headed to Sandalford Estate for wine tasting. A new experience for me! Lunch was at Pasta in the Valley, then followed by a visit to Margaret River Chocolate Company. Lots and lots of chocolates there for shoppers! But shopping isn't my cup of tea, so I just sat at a corner with Audrey, hehe. We did the same during the visit to House of Honey that wrapped up our time in Swan Valley. We headed to South Perth for Korean food and that was it. 

Swan Valley!

Sunday, our Day Eight, was another relaxed day. We didn't have much planned for that day. We walked past London Court, then had lunch together at KFC, our second time in Perth. Linda and her mom went out to shop after that while Audrey and I were chilling in our room. For our dinner, we walked back to Chinatown to eat at Uncle Billy's Chinese Restaurant, the one recommended by Kaung. That meal ended our last night in Perth and we flew back on Day Nine.

Posing in London Court. 

Now, before the trip, I had lunch with my acquaintance Sean. We thought that nine days would be too long for Perth only, but after I went through it, I'd say it was very a enjoyable experience. Perth had a much slower pace than Singapore and the winter did help creating such a conducive atmosphere. It was quite a change and turned out that I don't mind slowing down once in a while!

Negeri Di Bawah Sana: Perth

Bila kita berbicara tentang liburan keluarga, saya lebih condong memilih destinasi yang aman dan gampang dijelajahi. Jepang sudah kita kunjungi beberapa kali. Setelah COVID-19, kita pergi ke Swiss dan Taiwan. Jika saya melihat ke sekeliling saya dan mencari tempat dengan kriteria serupa yang tidak terlalu jauh dari Singapura, maka pilihan yang tersisa hanyalah Korea Selatan dan Australia Barat. Saya tidak suka masakan Korea yang terasa sibuk dan memenuhi meja dengan makanan kecilnya, jadi Perth pun menjadi pilihan tahun 2025. 

Istri dan saya berkolaborasi dalam mengerjakan rute perjalanan. Referensi saya adalah Wikivoyage, mungkin untuk terakhir kalinya karena saya sudah menggunakan AI untuk liburan ke Seremban dan Laos baru-baru ini. Karena saya tidak berminat untuk mengemudikan mobil, saya buka setiap halaman tentang distrik-distrik di Perth untuk mencari tahu tempat-tempat di sekitar kota yang bisa saya kunjungi. Saya juga memiliki sepupu di Perth yang tidak keberatan untuk menyetir, jadi dia bantu merevisi rute perjalanan dengan kunjungan ke Swan Valley. 

Liburan terakhir ke Eropa mencakup beberapa kota yang hanya dikunjungi semalam saja. Kesannya begitu terburu-buru, seperti hanya sekedar singgah. Perth direncanakan untuk tidak seperti itu lagi. Liburan kali ini harusnya santai dan perlahan. Sembilan hari di Perth dan kita akan tinggal di hotel yang sama sepanjang liburan. 

Terbang ke Perth!

Dan di malam pertama kita di sana, tengah malam tepatnya karena kita menaiki pesawat malam, kawasan Novotel masih luar biasa aktif. Saat itu jam dua pagi di hari Minggu dan orang-orang sudah berpesta dari sejak Sabtu malam. Istri dan saya terkejut juga melihat banyak muda-mudi dalam dandanan seksi dan pengaruh alkohol. Ternyata Murray Street adalah kawasan hiburan!

Berjalan santai di Elizabeth Quay.

Hari Pertama dimulai lama setelah matahari terbit. Sekitar jam 12 siang, kita berjalan ke Hay Street Mall. Sepupu saya Win dan istrinya berjumpa dengan kita di sana dan membawa kita melihat Bell Tower serta Elizabeth Quay. Kita bersantai dan banyak berbincang, sambil perlahan-lahan kembali ke Murray Street. Ketika hari menjelang senja, mereka harus kembali ke tempat mereka, jadi kita pun lanjut ke Chinatown melewati Yagan Square. Kita tiba terlalu awal dan akhirnya makan ramen di Hakata Gensuke. 

Sarapan bersama Kaung.

Hari Kedua juga dimulai cukup siang. Saya sarapan dengan mantan kolega saya, Kaung, lalu kembali ke Kamar 308. Kita lantas naik Uber dan tiba di Blue Boat House sekitar jam 1:30 siang. Setelah berfoto sejenak, kita berjalan ke arah Kings Park. Butuh waktu lama untuk keluar dari taman yang luas ini, begitu lamanya sampai-sampai kita makan siang jam tiga sore. Sesudah itu kita pun kembali ke hotel. 

Di Blue Boat House.

Di Hari Ketiga, kita pergi ke AQWA di Hilarys Boat Harbour. Setengah jam lamanya dari kota kalau naik Uber. Wahana ini mengingatkan saya dengan Underwater World di Sentosa dulu. Tak ayal lagi, kita hanya sebentar di sana. Hujan turun saat kita pulang ke hotel. Selagi semua bersantai di kamar, saya berjalan-jalan keluar mencari kantor pos. Untuk makan malam, kita mencicipi masakan Vietnam. Yang penting ada nasi, karena saya mulai sebal dengan kentang goreng. Saat malam tiba, saya dan istri menikmati wine di hotel karena Audrey tidur lebih awal.  

Jalan menuju ke mercusuar. 

Kita berangkat pagi untuk pertama kalinya di Hari Keempat. Dari Barrack Street Jetty, kita naik bis ke Fremantle untuk naik feri ke Rottnest Island. Ombaknya lumayan tinggi! Petualangan kita di pulau dimulai dengan makan pagi menjelang siang di Dome, lalu kita mencari quokka. Hewan yang imut ini bisa dilihat di berbagai penjuru pulau. Bahkan ada satu di bawah meja saat kita makan siang! Puncak dari perjalanan di hari tersebut adalah mercusuar. Bagus pemandangannya. Dengan feri yang sama, kita akhirnya meninggalkan pulau jam 4:30 sore, namun kali ini feri berlabuh Barrack Street Jetty. Dari sana, kita tinggal berjalan pulang ke hotel.

Saat menanti feri untuk kembali ke Perth.

Di Hari Kelima, kita pergi ke Caversham Wildlife Park. Dalam perjalanan ke sana menggunakan Uber, saya jadi berpikir bahwa akan susah bagi kita untuk kembali ke kota karena terpencil tempatnya. Tapi itu adalah masalah pas pulang nanti. Sekarang kita hanya perlu menikmati taman yang dipenuhi dengan aneka binatang Australia dan juga hewan-hewan peternakan, termasuk unta dan burung unta. Dalam perjalanan pulang, kita mencoba berjalan kaki menuju stasiun. Ada beberapa kangguru berkeliaran di luar taman. Namun karena petunjuk jalan yang tidak jelas, akhirnya kita tersesat dan memanggil Uber. Sesampainya di kota, kita mampir ke OZ Dobi Laundromat, makan malam di Authentic Bites Dumpling House serta menunggu cucian kita sambil menikmati teh es lemon di Taning Lemon Tea.

Di Taning, sambil menunggu cucian.

Kita akhirnya mengunjungi  Fremantle di Jumat pagi, Hari Keenam kita di Australia. Dari Perth Underground yang terletak tak jauh dari Novotel, kita berjalan ke Platform 7 yang berada di Perth Station. Kereta berangkat dan setengah jam kemudian, kita tiba di Fremantle. Pemberhentian pertama: Fremantle Markets yang tersohor! Untuk makan siang, kita icip makanan laut di Cicerello's. Kemudian, sebagai hidangan penutup, kita makan churros di Chocolateria San Churro. Sewaktu kita kembali ke Kamar 308, saya masih punya banyak waktu sebelum saya mencoba Comedy Lounge di seberang jalan. Saya suka pertunjukan komedinya! 

Dan kita pun ke Fremantle!

Sepupu saya Win dan istrinya datang menjemput di Sabtu pagi. Kita bersantap di Folklore, kedai kopi lokal yang populer di Perth. Untuk pertama kalinya, saya mencoba roti bakar yang dioles dengan Vegemite! Kita lantas pergi ke Sandalford Estate untuk mencoba aneka wine. Juga pengalaman baru untuk saya! Makan siang kita dipesan di Pasta in the Valley, lalu kita lanjut lagi ke Margaret River Chocolate Company. Coklatnya menggunung dan tinggal dipilih! Tapi saya tidak gemar berbelanja, jadi saya hanya duduk di pojok bersama Audrey, hehe. Hal yang sama juga kita lakukan saat berada di House of Honey, tempat terakhir yang kita kunjungi di Swan Valley. Dalam perjalanan pulang, kita makan malam menu Korea di South Perth. 

Swan Valley!

Minggu, Hari Kedelapan, adalah hari yang santai. Tak banyak yang ingin dilihat pada hari terakhir ini. Kita berjalan melewati London Court, lalu makan siang bersama di KFC, kali kedua kita selama di Perth. Setelah itu Linda dan mamanya pergi berbelanja sementara saya dan Audrey bersantai di kamar. Untuk makan malam, kita kembali ke Chinatown dan menjajal Uncle Billy's Chinese Restaurant, rekomendasi dari Kaung. Makan malam tersebut menjadi penutup malam terakhir di Perth. Kita pulang ke Singapura di Hari Kesembilan. 

Berpose di London Court. 

Nah, sebelum liburan, saya makan siang bersama kenalan saya Sean. Kita sempat berpendapat bahwa sembilan hari mungkin terlalu lama untuk berada di Perth saja, tapi setelah saya jalani, saya suka dengan pengalaman kali ini. Perth santai suasananya dan musim dingin menciptakan suasana yang kondusif untuk bersantai. Mantap nian!