The Taiwan Trip: Taipei

I had shared a bit about Taiwan on Roadblog505. Yes, it was a planned trip since last year, but I wasn't always so sure, though. Mainly because there isn't any Hard Rock Cafe in Taiwan, haha. So for a while in early 2024, I was toying with the idea of Dubai and Abu Dhabi. But the destinations were vetoed by my wife and daughter because they were worried the Middle East cuisines would be too exotic to their liking. Turned out that food in Taiwan weren't exactly fantastic as well, but more to this later.

My wife did most of the itinerary this time. Between Drinking With Eday and Jerry Seinfeld's one-night show in Singapore, we only have about a week, so Kaohsiung was eventually removed from the list. We took a 3 PM flight to Taipei on Thursday. With all the flight delay and travel time, it was almost midnight when we arrived at Hotel Midtown Richardson. 

Rainbow zebra-crossing in Ximending. 

The actual holiday began only on the following day. After a breakfast that leaned rather heavily towards the traditional Chinese flavour, we walked to Ximending Pedestrian Zone. There was this rainbow zebra crossing and we dressed up for the occasion as the M & M's family.

 

Our colors didn't match with the rainbow pattern, though. On top of that, there were other tourists wanting to take pictures on the same spot that would be passed by motorbikes and cars when the traffic light was green. So we did it quickly when we had the opportunity. Not much time for us to pose! 

With Linda at Memorial Hall. 

From there, we went to Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall. By the way, if you are used to taking MRT in Singapore, you'll have no problem in Taipei. It's quite similar and very convenient. Moments later, we reached the destination. My wife was there back in 2007, so it was her second time. The whole area was a square with a memorial hall at the end of it. After a quick glance at the Generalissimo, we headed to Din Tai Fung for lunch.

My daughter Linda was a fan of xiao long bao, so I thought we should go to the original Din Tai Fung in Da'an District, a walking distance from the Memorial Hall. Turned out that it served takeout only, so we went to another Din Tai Fung that was nearby. The food was good and much cheaper in Taiwan. Only SGD 57 for four people, easily half of what we would have paid in Singapore if we ordered the same stuff.

With Audrey at Taipei 101. 

Our next destination was Taipei 101, so we went to the nearest station of Tamsui-Xinyi line and boarded the metro. It was drizzling and the sky was dark, so we didn't go up to the observation deck. I also learnt that if you walked northward to the Taipei City Hall Station, you'd pass by a whole stretch of shopping malls. I was lucky that my wife wasn't much of a shopping type, haha. 

From Taipei City Hall Station, we headed back to Ximen. Stopped at Ice Papa for an overpriced shredded ice, then we took a break at our hotel that is located next to it. When the evening came, we went out again, this time to Jiantan Station because that's where Shilin Night Market is. On our way there, we cut across the 228 Peace Memorial Park.

At Shilin Night Market. 

In Singapore, there's this eatery chain called Shihlin Taiwan Street Snack that sells crispy chicken and oyster mee sua. The actual Shilin (spelled without h in the middle) in Taipei is a night market that sells all this. The night market was packed with people buying snacks from roadside vendors. Quite an experience, but the food is kind of overrated. 

The next day, we booked a car to bring us out of town. It was a smooth ride and our first destination was Shifen. We visited two parts of the town. The waterfall was the first and it got me thinking of my wife's story about the beach in Myanmar: the locals think it's beautiful mostly because they never see a better one out there. 

Posing with our lantern of hopes and wishes.

I'd say the Sky Lantern Square is a more unique experience. While we were here, we bought a lantern and wrote our wishes on four sides of it. Each color represents something, but I think we got it all wrong, haha. Anyway, I wish for my friend Jimmy to join us traveling one day and soon after that, the lantern went up to the sky. The vendor was so accustomed to the fact that he'd need to film it for us that he actually told us the routine, haha. 

Next was Houtong Cat Village. There was this abandoned factory that reminded me of a scene from Double Dragon. But yeah, the whole place looked rather crummy, perhaps to create the village atmosphere. Cats were everywhere, so fat that some were not interested in the cat kibble my daughter was offering them. 

Visiting the Old Street of Jiufen.

Last leg for the day was Jiufen. This one was nice, too. The Old Street was going up and down. We entered Chiu Chunt Dint for early dinner and A-Mei for tea break. Perching on the hill next to the staircase, this teahouse has a nice view facing the sea. I'd say I enjoyed the brief moment here. Then after that, we returned to our hotel. 

We went to Taipei Zoo on the third day. It rained while I was queuing for MacDonald's, so we just had to wait while having our lunch. The black burger was great. The rain stopped but drizzled from time to time, so it was quite distracting for an outdoor activity. The zoo itself was big, but the weather dampened the mood, so we gave up after exploring only ⅕ of the zoo.

Right after the Maokong Gondola ride.

We walked towards Maokong Gondola instead. I don't know if Eiger Express in the Jungfraujoch region or this one is a longer ride, but when we reached, I was sure that we wouldn't go down using the gondola again. After a tea break, we took the public bus instead. I felt safer to be inside the vehicle that was moving on the ground, not hanging high above the ground!

That day eventually ended with a proper visit to Ximending, but what made it all the more memorable was my decision to eat at Taipei Milk King. The food was so bad that we just had to laugh about it. No wonder it had no queue. My wife told me that she noticed people only ordered drinks there. Before we left Ximending, we bought gyudon at Sukiya for the kids. 

Visiting Ximending at night. 

The last day we were in Taipei, we returned to Ximending again for breakfast. Oh yes, we always skipped the hotel breakfast since our first and only time there. We had our meal at Xing Fu Tang Xiao Long Bao instead. The braised pork rice was brilliant! Then we walked around for a bit of shopping before returning to the hotel. That afternoon, we boarded the high speed train to Taichung.

Now, let's stop here first and talk about the Taiwan experience so far. It somehow reminded me of Japan, except for the fact that people speak Chinese there. Taipei is very safe, pavement is wide and the transportation is so convenient, ideal for a family trip. 

One card to rule them all!

But the moment you go out of town, you need a car. This is where it is different from Japan that is so well-connected by train. While the roads are of top quality, I dislike the idea of getting around in a rented car. It feels constrained. 

Food-wise, the roadside snacks and bubble tea are big deals in Taiwan, but I am not exactly a fan. For a proper restaurant, follow the queue. It is long for a good reason (I queued 50 minutes for Din Tai Fung). It's not like in Japan where each eatery is likely to be good. Case in point, the Taipei Milk King!

A glimpse of food we tried in Taipei. Guess which one is Taipei Milk King?

Liburan Ke Taiwan: Taipei

Saya sudah cerita sedikit tentang Taiwan di Roadblog505. Ya, liburan ini memang sudah direncanakan sejak tahun lalu, tapi saya tidak selalu yakin dengan destinasi ini, terutama karena Taiwan tidak memiliki Hard Rock Cafe, haha. Di awal tahun 2024, saya sempat menawarkan Dubai dan Abu Dhabi sebagai gantinya, namun usul saya ditolak oleh istri dan anak karena mereka merasa tidak cocok dengan makanan Timur Tengah yang terlalu eksotis. Setelah liburan usai, baru kita tahu bahwa makanan Taiwan pun tidak terlalu enak, tapi kita bahas lebih lanjut nanti. 

Istri saya Yani yang membuat hampir semua rute perjalanan kali ini. Karena acara Minum Bersama Eday dan pertunjukan Jerry Seinfeld di Singapura, kita hanya memiliki waktu kurang-lebih satu minggu, jadi Kaohsiung pun dicoret dari daftar. Kita naik pesawat jam tiga sore di hari Kamis. Berhubung keberangkatan pesawat agak tertunda, kita akhirnya sampai di Hotel Midtown Richardson menjelang tengah malam. 

Rainbow zebra-crossing in Ximending. 

Liburan baru dimulai pada keesokan harinya. Setelah sarapan pagi yang kental dengan cita rasa Cina, kita berjalan kaki ke Ximending Pedestrian Zone. Di kawasan ini ada tempat penyeberangan bermotif pelangi dan di hari itu kita sekeluarga memakai kaos M & M's. 

 

Akan tetapi warna baju kita tidak sesuai dengan urutan warna pelangi. Selain itu, ada banyak turis lain yang ingin berfoto di jalan yang dilalui oleh motor dan mobil saat lampu lalu-lintas berganti menjadi warna hijau. Oleh karena itu, kita cepat berfoto selagi ada kesempatan. Tak banyak waktu untuk berpose yang benar! 

Bersama Linda di Memorial Hall. 

Dari sana, kita pergi ke Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall. Oh ya, bila anda sudah terbiasa dengan MRT di Singapura, anda tidak akan kesulitan di Taipei. Konsepnya sama. Beberapa saat kemudian, kita tiba di tempat tujuan. Yani sudah pernah ke sini di tahun 2007, jadi ini adalah kali keduanya. Tempat wisata ini adalah sebuah lapangan luas dengan aula di ujungnya. Setelah masuk dan melihat patung Jenderal Besar Chiang, kita beranjak ke Din Tai Fung untuk makan siang. 

Putri saya Linda menyukai xiao long bao, jadi terpikir oleh saya untuk mencoba restoran pertama Din Tai Fung di Da'an District yang terletak tidak jauh dari Memorial Hall. Ternyata restoran ini hanya melayani pesanan untuk dibawa pulang, jadi kita pun pergi ke Din Tai Fung lain yang berada di seberang jalan. Masakannya lezat dan jauh lebih murah di Taiwan. Untuk porsi empat orang, harganya cuma IDR 690.000, tak sampai separuh dari harga untuk menu yang sama di Singapura. 

Bersama Audrey di Taipei 101. 

Destinasi berikutnya adalah Taipei 101, jadi kita pun berjalan ke stasiun terdekat dan menaiki kereta jalur Tamsui-Xinyi. Saat itu agak mendung dan gerimis, jadi kita tidak naik ke puncak gedung. Kita lanjut berjalan sampai ke Stasiun Taipei City Hall, melewati deretan mal di kiri-kanan jalan. Untung saja istri saya bukan tipe yang wajib belanja, haha. 

Dari Taipei City Hall Station, kita kembali ke Ximen. Sebelum pulang ke hotel, kita sempat singgah sejenak di Ice Papa untuk icip-icip es parut. Rasanya tawar karena sebagian besar hanyalah parutan es balok. Di malam hari, kita keluar lagi, kali ini ke Stasiun Jiantan karena di sinilah Pasar Malam Shilin berada. Dalam perjalanan ke stasiun, kita potong jalan melewati 228 Peace Memorial Park.

Di Pasar Malam Shilin.

Di Singapura ada yang namanya Shihlin Taiwan Street Snack yang menjual ayam goreng garing dan mee sua kerang. Shilin yang asli di Taipei (penulisannya dieja tanpa huruf h di tengah) adalah pasar malam yang dipadati pengunjung yang sibuk melihat dan membeli makanan ringan di tepi jalan. Pengalaman ini cukup berkesan, tapi makanannya biasa saja. 

Keesokan harinya, mobil yang kita pesan datang menjemput dan membawa kita ke luar kota. Tujuan pertama kita adalah Shifen. Ada dua tempat yang kita kunjungi. Yang pertama adalah air terjun. Saat melihat air terjun tersebut, saya jadi teringat dengan cerita istri saya tentang pantai yang bagus di Myanmar: warga setempat menganggap pantai ini bagus lebih cenderung karena mereka tidak pernah melihat pantai yang lebih bagus di negara lain. 

Berpose sebelum kita menerbangkan lentera.

Menurut saya, justru pengalaman di Sky Lantern Square yang lebih unik. Sewaktu mampir di sini, kita membeli lentera dan menuliskan keinginan kita di empat bidangnya. Setiap warna bidang ada maknanya, tapi kita tidak terlalu peduli, haha. Saya sendiri berharap agar teman saya Jimmy ikut jalan-jalan ke luar negeri dan lentera pun diterbangkan sesudah kita selesai menulis. Karyawan toko terlihat sudah terbiasa mengabadikan pengalaman pelanggannya, jadi dia dengan sigap menjadi pengarah gaya, haha. 

Setelah Shifen, kita lanjut ke Kampung Kucing Houtong. Ada gedung bekas pabrik yang mengingatkan saya pada latar belakang game Double Dragon. Secara keseluruhan, tempat ini nampak tidak terawat, mungkin supaya terlihat seperti kampung. Ada kucing di mana-mana, begitu gemuknya sampai mereka tak lagi tertarik untuk menyantap makanan kucing yang ditawarkan oleh anak saya. 

Di Old Street Jiufen.

Pemberhentian terakhir di hari tersebut adalah Jiufen. Tempat yang satu ini juga menarik. Jalanan di Old Street naik-turun. Kita mampir di Chiu Chunt Dint untuk makan malam dan lanjut ke A-Mei untuk minum teh. Kedai teh ini terletak di atas bukit di samping tangga dan memiliki pemandangan yang menghadap ke laut. Saya suka tempat ini karena mirip seperti kedai teh di film silat kuno. Setelah itu, kita kembali ke hotel. 

Kita mengunjungi Taipei Zoo di hari ketiga. Tiba-tiba hujan turun dengan derasnya saat saya sedang mengantri di MacDonald's, jadi kita pun bersantap siang sambil menanti hujan reda. Namun hujan tidak pernah benar-benar berhenti dan terkadang gerimis lagi, jadi sangat mengganggu. Kebun binatang ini sebenarnya sangat luas, tapi dengan cuaca seperti ini, kita jadi tidak bersemangat. Jadi kira-kira hanya seperlima bagian yang sempat kita jelajahi. 

Di puncak, setelah menaiki Maokong Gondola.

Kita lantas berjalan ke Maokong Gondola. Saya tidak tahu pasti apakah Eiger Express di Jungfraujoch atau yang satu ini yang lebih tinggi dan panjang, tapi yang jelas saya tak mau lagi turun dengan kereta gantung. Setelah berhenti sejenak untuk minum teh, kita naik bis dari puncak ke stasiun MRT terdekat. Saya merasa lebih aman saat kendaraan saya berjalan di permukaan jalan, bukannya bergelantungan pada seutas kabel di ketinggian!

Hari itu berakhir dengan kunjungan ke Ximending, tapi yang lebih berkesan lagi adalah keputusan saya untuk makan di Taipei Milk King. Makanannya sungguh tidak enak, sampai-sampai kita pun tertawa geli. Pantas saja tidak ada yang antri. Istri saya juga mengamati bahwa yang duduk di sekeliling kita juga hanya memesan minuman. Sebelum kita meninggalkan Ximending, kita membeli gyudon di Sukiya untuk anak-anak. 

Mengunjungi Ximending di malam hari. 

Senin pagi, hari terakhir kita di Taipei, kita mengunjungi Ximending lagi untuk sarapan. Semenjak hari pertama, kita kapok makan pagi di hotel. Restoran yang terakhir kita kunjungi di Taipei adalah Xing Fu Tang Xiao Long Bao. Nasi dengan daging babi rebusnya sangat lezat. Setelah jalan-jalan dan berbelanja sejenak, kita kembali ke hotel dan akhirnya berangkat ke Taichung.

Nah, mari berhenti di sini dulu dan bercerita sejenak tentang pengalaman di Taiwan sampai sejauh ini. Taipei mengingatkan saya dengan Jepang. Hanya bahasanya saja yang Mandarin. Ibukota Taiwan ini sangat aman, trotoarnya lebar dan sarana transportasinya sangat gampang dan praktis, jadi cocok untuk liburan keluarga dengan anak-anak yang masih kecil. 

Kartu untuk MRT dan lainnya. 

Begitu kita ke luar kota, kita memerlukan mobil. Ini yang membedakan Taiwan dengan Jepang yang sangat terhubung dengan baik berkat infrastruktur kereta. Meski bagus kualitas jalannya, saya tidak suka bepergian dengan mobil sewaan. Rasanya tidak bebas. 

Bicara tentang makanan, budaya di sana adalah pasar malam dan teh boba, tapi saya bukanlah penggemar dua-duanya. Untuk restoran, pastikan anda memilih yang panjang antriannya. Saya sendiri antri 50 menit di Din Tai Fung. Jadi berbeda dengan Jepang yang setiap rumah makannya bisa dikatakan dijamin lezat. Sebagai contoh kualitas yang tidak ada antrian: Taipei Milk King!

Aneka makanan yang kita coba selama di Taipei. Coba tebak, yang mana masakan Taipei Milk King?

Roadblog505

Here we are, seven years and counting. I finally made it to the 505th blog post on Roadblog101. The last time such an achievement unlocked was back in October 2021. Almost three years ago. It was during COVID-19, when things were bleak. But just like year 2020, a lot of reading was done, though.

 

And a lot of things had changed since then. Life returned to some semblance of normalcy in 2022. I'd remember it as the year I finally visited India. In 2023, a long overdue dream came true when we went to Japan. And 2024, as the story continued to unfold, had been one great adventure for the past six months. 

So what does all this mean to roadblog101.com? It means quite a fair bit of things, really. It means acceptance, to be comfortable with its role as an outlet and a hobby as it is heading to its eighth year. It's not about churning out tons of blog posts anymore, but more of a freedom of being able to write when I'm inspired. 

And I still get inspired. Funny how life is never lack of something new. Even at this age I still have much to learn. For example, I was surprised by recent trips to Phuket and Ipoh. They were nothing like what I had done before and I like it. If I had to sum it up, they were unusually casual. 

Talking about the word new, during my visit to Taipei, I came to realise why I always like travelling to new places. There is this sensation of something new and foreign that will make you disoriented at first, because you feel so alien in an environment you know so little about. I thoroughly enjoyed the excitement of being unsure and overcoming it. 

For instance, when I arrived at Taipei Main Station late at night, I had to look around and absorb as much information as I could from my surroundings and Google Maps, then acted on it partly based on instinct. After a while in Taipei, things became more familiar and I eventually got the hang of it.

And that's the thing with roadblog101.com, too. There'll always be something new that I go through and I will need an outlet to note it down, share it out and move onto a new experience. So, yeah, I think the blog is here to stay. See you again, probably in another few years, on Roadblog606...

Roadblog505

Setelah tujuh tahun lebih, akhirnya kita tiba di artikel Roadblog101 ke-505. Terakhir kalinya peristiwa serupa tercapai adalah bulan Oktober 2021. Hampir tiga tahun lamanya semenjak itu terjadi. Saat itu COVID-19 dan suram suasananya. Namun sama halnya seperti tahun 2020, banyak buku dibaca di tahun tersebut. 

 

Dan banyak hal yang sudah berubah setelah itu. Hidup berangsur-angsur kembali normal di tahun 2022. Saya akan selalu mengenangnya sebagai tahun di mana saya akhirnya mengunjungi India. Di tahun 2023, satu impian yang tertunda sejak 2020 pun terwujud ketika kita tiba di Jepang. Dan tahun 2024 yang masih berlangsung ceritanya bisa dijabarkan sebagai satu petualangan yang berlangsung dengan baik dan lancar selama enam bulan terakhir. 

Jadi apa artinya semua ini bagi roadblog101.com? Bisa beraneka makna, saya kira. Yang utama adalah penerimaan akan perannya sebagai penyaluran dari sebuah hobi yang kini bergulir ke tahun ke-delapan. Roadblog101.com tak lagi harus menelurkan artikel sebanyak mungkin, tapi lebih merupakan sebuah kebebasan dalam menulis tatkala saya terinspirasi. 

Dan saya masih terinspirasi. Lucu rasanya bahwa hidup ini tidak pernah kehabisan sesuatu yang baru. Bahkan di usia menjelang 44 pun saya masih banyak belajar. Sebagai contoh, saya tertegun dengan liburan ke Phuket dan Ipoh di tahun ini. Dua liburan ini berbeda dengan apa yang saya jalani selama ini dan saya menyukainya. Jika saya harus menyimpulkan, rasanya seperti sebuah pengalaman santai yang tidak lazim bagi orang yang bepergian ke luar negeri untuk liburan. 

Bicara tentang kata baru, saat saya di Taipei, saya menyadari kenapa saya suka bepergian ke tempat baru. Ada kesan disorientasi karena saya merasa asing di tempat yang sama sekali baru dan tidak saya kenal baik ini. Saya suka perasaan suka-cita yang diiringi dengan ketidakpastian dan juga proses mengatasi semua ini.  

Misalnya saja, saat saya tiba di Taipei Main Station di malam yang telah larut, saya harus mengamati sekeliling saya dan juga mencari tahu lewat Google Maps, lalu mengambil tindakan berdasarkan naluri. Setelah beberapa lama di Taipei, saya mulai mengenal apa yang terjadi di sekeliling saya dan bisa beradaptasi. 

Hal serupa juga otomatis terekspresikan lewat roadblog101.com. Senantiasa ada hal baru yang saya alami dan perlu saya tuangkan supaya saya bisa beralih ke inspirasi berikutnya. Jadi saya rasa roadblog101.com akan terus berlanjut. Sampai ketemu lagi beberapa tahun kemudian di episode Roadblog606... 

Singapore Trip 2024

It really has been a while for yours truly, Simon Parno Bong. I never thought of going to Singapore for the fourth times after the Japan trip in 2023. I thought I was grounded for good, but my friend Anthony insisted that I had to go there, taking part in Drinking With Eday. The annual tradition had been going on for a decade, so it was quite a milestone!

Two days before I went to Singapore, I did say to my Mum that I would meet my friends in Singapore. She responded by telling me to wear a nice shirt, hahaha. 

The journey happened to be a long one. The day of my departure, I still opened my shop. Later on that day, I bought yammie, a special delicacy from Pontianak. When I reached the Supadio Airport, I directly went to the gate, but the officer stopped me and he demanded to see my boarding pass. Silly me, so I rushed back to the counter and tried checking in for the flight to Batam. Much to my surprise, I was told that there was no flight to Batam! 

Boarding pass to Jakarta. 

I was redirected to the ticket office. There, the officer in charge told me that I could still go to Batam via Jakarta. Upon hearing that, I felt extremely disappointed, contemplating if I should cancel my trip. I texted Anthony and he said the show must go on. I could imagine missing the last ferry to Singapore and therefore spending a night in Batam. With a weary heart, I boarded the flight to Jakarta. 

When I landed in Jakarta, I ran to the gate to catch the flight to Batam. The boarding time was 21:55 and I touched down in Jakarta at 21:35, so I couldn't help thinking that I was going to miss my connecting flight. Turned out that the flight was delayed, hence my effort was wasted, haha. As I sat there waiting, I became hungry. Bought a bread and and pre-heated rice. When I read the group chat and saw my friends worrying about me, I told them I was okay.  

One night in Batam. 

I eventually reached Batam in the middle of the night. Quickly rushed to the hotel, but before I retired to my room, I asked the receptionist to help me putting the yammie in the fridge. Since I had lost so much time, I wanted to take the earliest ferry to Singapore. By the way, it was 00:55 when I dozed off, so I only slept for three hours. 

Early in the morning, I took the Maxim bike ride and headed to Batam Centre. It was literally smooth sailing and I had no issue entering Singapore. But Anthony and friends didn't pick me up this round. As I wasn't sure where to go, I kept walking by following the signages. To make it worse, the internet on my iPhone didn't work. I was upset, tired and angry. I was desperate for a good connection, but it sucked big time.

Suddenly Anthony called me and advised me to buy a one way ticket. I asked the information counter, but the one way ticket was no longer available. I had to buy a card with five dollars stored inside, so I did exactly that and took the MRT. For a while, I thought I would be stranded in Singapore, haha. 

Reaching Anthony's house. 

In Sengkang, on a wet rainy day, Anthony called and guided to his house. When I arrived there, I was so overwhelmed by tiredness that I lashed out at Anthony and Eday for sitting at home and enjoying their coffee leisurely! Ahh, what a day, but it all paid off with the party we had that night! It was the first time I vomited after drinking too much beer. 

"I won't drink anymore..."

Anyway I am thankful to Anthony, Eday, Yardi and his two daughters, Landak, Taty, Rend, Mr. T and Mei Ing. Thanks for the unforgettable night that I will always remember!!

Drinking With Eday.

Editor's note: editing Parno's work has always been fun but challenging. Below here is a diamond in the rough. Literally!

Its been a while for me as simon parno bong i never thought to go to Singapore for the fourth times well after a japan trip exactly in 2023 , further speaking i thought i was grounded for good but eventualy my friend anthony insist me to go there just for a drink with eday ng for a dacade of memory to remain therefore anthony n friend did persue me to go sg haha 

      Well 2 day before i went to sg , i did said to my mom that i will to meet my friend to sg haha she said ware a good looking shirt hahaha , the long day has come for me to go sg ,the day i depart to sg , i still open my shop thought later i bought yammie a special delicasy from pontianak , n so i arrived at the airport i directly go to the the gateway but the officer stop me n demanding a boarding pass how clumsy i am n then i rush to the ticket to queqe but when i mention a boarding pass ptk batam please, the officer said there no plane to batam today , then he told me to go to that counter n ask explanation he said you can go to batam but must transit to jkt first n then go to batam after hearing that i feel desperate i thought should i cancel my trip ? N i text anthony reply go on ! Wahaha i smile i gonne miss my ferry to sg n ask again what time i be at batam he said 9 pm! What i said i will have a night in batam!! There no other choice i obey the rule with a tired heart go to the gate for boarding to jkt ....

     After i reached jkt i was so in the rush to transit to batam that boarding time is 955 cos the time i touchdown in jkt is 935 so i was so desperate i gonno miss my flight , after rushing to the mentioned gate i was there n find out the flight was delayed i kinda wasted my time on rushing to here , hahaha n sitting there make me hungry n i buy a bread n microwave rice that just like in plane ahahaha there i was sitting just waiting for boarding, my friends in WA group were concerning me , i said i m ok 

     And then finallyi v landed in batam n quickly rush to hotel that i intended before i get in to the room , i urged the receptionist to help me to put my goodies in the freezer cos thats the goodies is for eating , n so he help me to keep it fresh in the freezer , into hotel room , my friend anthony confirmed me to take the early ferry to sg haha i thought i got a little time there , so i choose the early departure haha, by the way the time i was in hotel room was 1255 in the night its almost morning ! N the i slept for 3 hours 

The early morning i took an online bike to go to batam center n then i departed for sg , after i arrrived there i thought i will be hard to enter sg but frankly said its was smoothly done , but this time anthony n friend did not welcome me at the exist haoburfront haha i dont know the where im going to , i just keep on walking see the sign here n there , not for mention the sg number that i got was a shit thing its unusefull ,its me grow my anger to certain emotion yet mix with tired ssome condition , desperated to have a good connection but still suck!! suddenly anthony called me with the phone , he guide me to buy a one way ticket ticket to sengkang , so i ask the information n said to me there is no one way ticket to buy anymore , you have buy a card for 5 dollars n Refill with 5 dollars valued for taking the mrt , so i did it , make my way to sengkang with 5 dollars value card haha , i thought i will be stranded in sg ,   

      At sengkang , i was guided by anthony to reach his home on the wet rainny day , n arrived there i was so emosional tiredless i suddenly mad at anthony n eday ng whose at home enjoying koffee! Ahh what a day , but its all pay off with a friendhip drinking dacade ! ! N the first time i vommited after too much drinking beer

      But anyway i thankfull to anthony , eday ng yard n his 2 daughter landak taty rend mr t n mei ing thanks for Unforgettable night i will always remember!!

Muliady The: A True Friend

The title above came from a man called Parno. He mentioned this recently, when we celebrated one decade of Drinking With Eday, our annual gathering in Singapore. The comment was originated from an honest opinion that even though Muliady was financially successful, he was kind and never looked down on Parno. Then, as I had a chance to walk with Muliady on the following afternoon, it slowly dawned on me that I had also known him for a long time.

Mul and I aren't exactly the closest of friends. His story is often overshadowed by Eday, Parno or Endrico, but I've already known him just as long as I know the others. He was that cheerful kid that I hung out with when we frequented Jimmy Kohir's house back in secondary school. He was our footballer and a riot who had his school pants ripped apart by Susanto Phang when we got rowdy in high school. He was my VCD supplier and our lead guitarist when we were in college. Whenever I hear You Are My Religion by Firehouse, I remember how he loved singing the song. 

Back in Pontianak, circa 1999.

By the time I moved to Jakarta, he was the guy who tried to earn commissions by asking me, his equally poor friend, to apply a credit card through him. Talk about a humble beginning! But my fondest memories of him during this period was the time we went to Cibodas together. He immediately ran to the waterfall to get soaked when we reached the peak. Then there was the time he misunderstood us and exclaimed that he didn't know how to row a canoe when we asked if he'd like to join us and play keno, a gambling machine. 

The next time we met was in Singapore. It was his first trip, if I remember correctly. When I got married in 2011, he attended my wedding. Things got better for the both of us and we started meeting regularly. When I thought of doing a reunion in 2014, there he was, playing guitar. Then in 2015, we watched Bon Jovi in Jakarta. His first concert! When I did We Are the World in 2016, I immediately remember that he'd be suitable for one particular part and he clearly didn't disappoint. We watched another concert again in 2017, this time was Guns N' Roses. Then came another high school reunion, his visit to Singapore in 2018 and my visit to Jakarta in late November. 

Mul's first visit to Singapore.

Then the unthinkable right after that. I got the news of him having stroke when I was queuing to buy a Nintendo Switch. It was hard to believe, because I just saw him few weeks ago. When I got a chance to visit him right before Christmas 2018, the man was visibly shaken. He was vulnerable, feeling unsure if he could recover. But he persevered and by time we met again, it was in Singapore, when he joined the SNY Tour.

He looked fine, seemed as healthy as ever, but I could sense that something had changed in him: now that he was given a second chance, there was this unusual eagerness to seize the moment whenever he could. He was also there at my Dad's wake in Jakarta and the two of us also watched the football match between Juventus and Tottenham Hotspur in Singapore. 

At the National Stadium, Singapore.

COVID-19 put a stop to our meetup, but the moment Singapore opened its door to the world, Mul visited us again in 2022. The following year, he was with us in Japan and that's when Eday gave him the nickname Thunder-Man because he always talked loudly. And then came the event this year. He was the one that set his phone and had our picture taken. 

As I walked with him under a drizzling rain in Clarke Quay, I recall the times we crossed path throughout so many phases in my life. Two things always remained constants: his ever-present smile and his friendliness. Parno was right, he was a true friend. And if I never said it before, I'd like to say it now. I, too, love him dearly as a friend...

After Drinking With Eday, 2024. 
Photo by Muliady.

Muliady The: Seorang Teman Sejati

Judul di atas berasal dari seorang teman bernama Parno. Julukan ini terucapkan olehnya saat acara Minum Bersama Eday yang digelar setiap tahun di Singapura. Menurut Parno, meski sukses secara finansial, Mul tidak pernah memandang rendah dirinya. Keesokan sorenya, selagi saya berjalan bersama Mul, saya tiba-tiba menyadari bahwa saya pun sudah mengenalnya dari sejak lama. 

Mul dan saya mungkin tidak bisa dikatakan sebagai teman dekat. Oleh karena itu, walaupun saya sudah kenal Mul selama saya mengenal Eday, Parno atau Endrico, kisahnya cenderung tersamarkan oleh mereka. Mul adalah teman yang riang saat kita berkumpul di rumah Jimmy Kohir di masa SMP. Dia adalah anggota tim sepak bola sekaligus teman yang heboh dan pernah disobek celananya oleh Susanto Phang di masa SMA. Sewaktu kuliah, dia adalah pemasok VCD dan juga gitaris saya. Hingga hari ini, setiap kali saya mendengar lagu You Are My Religion oleh Firehouse, saya terkenang betapa dia suka bermain gitar dan menyanyikan lagu ini. 

Di Pontianak, kisaran tahun 1999.

Ketika saya pindah ke Jakarta, dia adalah orang yang menawarkan saya untuk membuat kartu kredit. Saya, teman yang sama susahnya di kala kita mulai merintis karir! Tapi kenangan yang paling berkesan pada saat itu adalah sewaktu kita ke Cibodas. Dia langsung berlari ke air terjun saat kita tiba di atas. Lalu ada pula saat dia salah paham dan berkata dengan polos bahwa dia tak tahu cara mendayung kano, padahal kita bertanya apakah dia mau ikut main keno, mesin judi bola. 

Kali berikutnya kita bertemu adalah di Singapura. Itu adalah kali pertamanya di Singapura, kalau saya tidak salah ingat. Ketika saya menikah di tahun 2011, dia hadir sebagai tamu bersama teman-teman lain. Kehidupan kita lantas kian membaik dan kita mulai rutin bertemu. Saat saya mengadakan reuni di tahun 2014, dia pun tampil di pentas bersama saya. Kemudian, di tahun 2015, kita menyaksikan konser Bon Jovi di Jakarta. Saat saya merekam We Are the World di tahun 2016, saya tahu Mul pasti cocok di bagian vokal Bruce Springsteen dan dia tidak mengecewakan. Di tahun 2017, kita menonton Guns N' Roses. Setelah itu, kita makan bubur kodok di Singapura, reuni 20 tahun di Pontianak, lalu ikut aksi bela Kedai 7 di bulan November 2018. 

Kunjungan pertama ke Singapura.

Mendadak sesuatu yang di luar dugaan terjadi. Saat saya sedang antri membeli Nintendo Switch, saya mendapat kabar bahwa Mul terkena stroke. Ini sulit dipercaya, sebab saya baru saja bertemu dengannya beberapa minggu lalu. Ketika saya berkesempatan untuk mengunjunginya sebelum Natal 2018, dia tampak terguncang dan rentan mentalnya, tak yakin apakah dia bisa pulih lagi seperti dulu. Tapi dia tabah menjalani dan ketika kita bertemu lagi, dia muncul di Singapura, mengikuti acara Tur SNY. 

Mul terlihat sehat, namun saya merasa bahwa ada yang berubah dengannya. Setelah mendapatkan kesempatan kedua, ada kesan bahwa dia sangat bersemangat dan sebisa mungkin tidak melewatkan kesempatan yang ada. Dia hadir di rumah duka ketika ayah saya meninggal. Dia pun kembali ke Singapura dan kita bersama-sama menonton pertandingan Juventus melawan Tottenham Hotspur. 

Di National Stadium, Singapura.

COVID-19 sempat membuat dunia berhenti, namun saat Singapura mulai membuka diri, Mul datang berkunjung lagi di tahun 2022. Di tahun berikutnya, dia ikut ke Jepang dan mendapat julukan Manusia Halilintar karena suaranya yang menggelegar. Dan di tahun ini, dia hadir dan mengabadikan kebersamaan kita dengan foto di bawah ini. 

Selagi berjalan bersamanya di bawah hujan gerimis di Clarke Quay, saya jadi teringat betapa sering kita berpapasan dalam hidup ini selama tiga puluh tahun terakhir. Ada dua hal yang selalu konstan selama ini: senyumnya yang ceria dan keramahannya. Parno benar, Mul adalah teman sejati. Jika saya tidak pernah mengatakan hal ini sebelumnya, maka akan saya katakan pada saat ini juga. Saya juga teramat sangat bersyukur dengan persahabatan kita selama ini...

Setelah acara Minum Bersama Eday, 2024.
Foto oleh Muliady.

The Man Who Tried To Explain Music

One of many interesting things that happened during the trip to Ipoh was Eday's story about a young man who tried to explain music. He studied music as if it was some science. He learnt chords that carried sad feelings. Then he tried to formulate them into something that he could put together like ABC. Mind boggling, eh?

I never heard anything like this before. To me, music and lyrics are something you relate with, not something you try to make sense of. When I write, I simply pour out the inspiration that comes to me. I know when it is worded properly. It's intuitive. I just know it. 

The thought of songwriting as something logical is indeed amusing. How's that even a thing? That's when Eday suggested that perhaps I should explain how I listen to songs. For the fact I often inspired by the lyrics, how does it speak to me in a way many will not understand it? How can a mere song make a person cry?

Upon hearing this, I couldn't help thinking of two songs from Hamilton the musical. The first one was called One Last Time. I was suddenly on the edge of my seat, couldn't take my eyes of the George Washington character as he sang the song with R&B feeling. The words if I say goodbye, the nation learns to move on. It outlives me when I’m gone hit me hard like an epiphany. 

By the time it got to the gospel singing of George Washington’s going home that was responded nonchalantly by George with teach ‘em how to say goodbye, I couldn't help thinking about how one right decision made in the past resonated to this day. It was bigger than ever. I was very much in awe with what I had just experienced.

The second song, It's a Quiet Uptown, was captivating thanks to its melody. I was lured and hypnotized by the choir singing if you see him in the street, walking by himself, talking to himself, have pity. That's when I really listened to find out what's going. The words told me of the pain, the music conveyed the loss. It touched my heart and opened the floodgate of what I feared the most: burying your own child. Then I cried. 

Using the two examples above, the initial attraction always begins with the music. There is something with the groove that makes it irresistible. It could be funky, jazzy or anything that connects me with it. The music doesn't have to complicated, it just has to be relatable. Then, when the powerful lyrics are sung by the right person, you just listen and process both the emotions and the message. And just like that, it becomes the song I love for life. 

That's how it works between the songs and I. It's pure feeling. Nothing logical about it. If that's the case, how to put something that is so abstract into a secret recipe? If indeed it can be done, everyone can write hit songs, then! I don't know, maybe I'm not smart enough. I rest my case. May the young man succeed in his quest one day...

Yani and Hamilton. 

Pria Yang Mencoba Menjelaskan Tentang Musik

Satu dari sedemikian banyak hal menarik yang terjadi saat liburan di Ipoh adalah cerita Eday tentang seorang anak muda yang ingin memahami musik secara logis. Dia mempelajari musik seakan-akan itu adalah sesuatu yang ilmiah. Nada-nada yang bernuansa sedih pun ditelaah. Sesudah itu, dia mencoba merumuskan apa yang diketahuinya supaya bisa dirangkai seperti ABC. Mengherankan, bukan? 

Saya tidak pernah mendengar yang seperti ini sebelumnya. Bagi saya, musik dan lirik adalah sesuatu yang anda rasakan, bukan sesuatu yang dimengerti dan dijabarkan. Ketika saya menulis, saya hanya menuangkan inspirasi yang saya dapatkan. Saya tahu ketika susunan katanya terasa pas. Semua ini intuitif. Saya bisa merasakannya. 

Oleh karena itu ide memahami cara menulis lagu secara logis sangatlah mencengangkan bagi saya. Memangnya ada yang seperti itu? Eday lantas menyarankan, mungkin saya bisa coba jelaskan bagaimana cara saya mendengarkan lagu. Karena saya seringkali terinspirasi oleh lirik, apa sebenarnya yang terjadi sehingga saya bisa merasakan korelasinya sementara bagi orang lain biasa saja? Mungkin saya bisa jelaskan bagaimana sebuah lagu bisa membuat pendengarnya menangis? 

Saat mendengarkan ucapannya, saya jadi teringat dengan dua lagu dari musikal Hamilton. Lagu pertama berjudul One Last Time. Sewaktu saya pertama kali mendengarkan lagu ini, saya duduk terpana di kursi dan fokus pada karakter George Washington saat dia menyanyikan lagu yang berirama R&B ini. Kalimat if I say goodbye, the nation learns to move on. It outlives me when I’m gone menggetarkan hati saya. 

Tatkala bagian George Washington’s going home! dinyanyikan dan ditanggapi George dengan teach ‘em how to say goodbye, saya jadi berpikir tentang bagaimana sebuah keputusan yang benar di masa lampau masih terasa gaungnya di hari ini. Bahkan lebih dahsyat dari sebelumnya! Saya jadi terkagum-kagum dengan apa yang baru saja saya dengarkan.

Lagu kedua, It's a Quiet Uptown, juga memikat karena melodinya. Saya terlena dan terbuai oleh paduan suara yang melantunkan bait if you see him in the street, walking by himself, talking to himself, have pity. Ada nuansa sedih yang membuat saya menyimak lebih lanjut, apa sebenarnya yang terjadi. Lirik lagunya mengabarkan tentang kepedihan Hamilton, musiknya pun terasa lirih. Lagu ini membuat saya terenyuh dan mengingatkan saya tentang satu hal yang saya takuti: perasaan seorang ayah yang harus menguburkan anaknya. Dan saya pun menangis. 

Menggunakan dua contoh lagu di atas, kita bisa lihat bahwa daya tarik sebuah lagu selalu dimulai dari musik. Ada sesuatu dengan irama dan temponya yang membuat lagu itu seksi, entah itu karena nadanya yang funky, jazzy dan sebagainya yang membuat saya suka. Musik dari sebuah lagu tidak harus rumit, tapi hendaknya bisa dinikmati oleh pendengar. Setelah itu, ketika liriknya dibawakan oleh penyanyi yang tepat, saya mendengar dan mencerna emosi dan apa yang disampaikan. Ketika semua ini terjadi, lagu tersebut akan menjadi favorit saya. 

Bagi saya, demikianlah prosesnya. Semua ini berdasarkan perasaan. Tak ada yang logis di sini. Kalau memang demikian, apakah bisa menjabarkan sesuatu yang abstrak ini menjadi sebuah rumus? Kalau memang bisa, berarti semua orang bisa menjadi penulis lagu yang sukses? Entahlah, saya tidak secerdas itu. Mungkin anak muda itu bisa memecahkan misteri ini suatu hari nanti... 

From KL To Ipoh

My friend Eday started a 6-week trip earlier year, covering Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia. It was unprecedented, something we hadn't seen before. Clearly rocking the status quo, I'd say, but that's a story for another day. Anyway, it must be a fulfilling experience that volume II was planned and executed in April. The first leg of the trip coincided with Hendra's visit to Singapore. 

Then, as part of the tour, came the trip to Ipoh after Eday's visit to Indonesia. The destination wasn't always Ipoh, though. Vientiane and Siem Reap, cities with Hard Rock Cafe, were considered. However, both had their own set of problems that left us mulling them over. It was then decided that we'd revisit the destination again after the China trip. The route was eventually confirmed. We'd go to Ipoh via KL.

The art of looking at the sky and avoiding the bill.

Our flights landed at 9:15 PM. I was flying from Singapore, Eday was coming from Jakarta. We had our dinner at KLIA, then made our way to Hotel 99 in Kota Kemuning. I was amused that the receptionist actually found my data from seven years ago, when I was still holding an Indonesian passport. Five minutes after check-in, our host Wiwi came to pick us up for supper. That night, for the first time ever in my life, I ate lok-lok, haha. 

The next morning, Wiwi brought us to see the Saturday market. Funny how she suddenly felt reluctant to leave the car, citing the reason that she was overdressed for the occasion, haha. After getting pancakes and tea c, we went to her house that was guarded by a jumpy, barking dog. The conversation with her husband led to a quick recap of Eday's story about Syria.

In Klang, having bak kut teh.

For brunch, we went to Klang to eat the famous bak kut teh. It was good indeed. As her husband needed to go back to work, Wiwi decided that she would join us to KL. It turned out to be a historical moment: Wiwi took LRT with us from Alam Megah to Pasar Seni! It was a miracle to see her walking under the sun like any of us, haha. 

More often not, I only go to KL for either transit or business trip. Having said that, it was my first time visiting Pasar Seni. It somehow reminded me of Pasar Baru in Jakarta. We had cendol, then headed towards Petaling Street for a glimpse of Chinatown. The one in Singapore is better, though.

Petaling Street.

When it was time for coffee break, we went to Suria KLCC. There we sat at San Francisco Coffee and talked about anything the three old friends could think of. At 6 PM, we made our move and parted ways with Wiwi as we alighted at KL Sentral. Wiwi returned to Kota Kemuning and we continued our journey to Ipoh. 

The train was freezing cold, but it got better when it started moving. The sky went dark and we had our decent meal in the train. It was almost 10 PM when we reached Ipoh Station. From there, we walked about 25 minutes to M Boutique Hotel. The hotel had a classic British Colonial design. Hot water and aircon were working fine, but it was the pillows that I found very comfortable!

Eday, taking picture of M Boutique Hotel.

Just like our trip to Phuket, we weren't rushing and we didn't exactly have places we'd like to visit, so we woke up late for coffee and tea, then walked towards Concubine Lane. Along the way, whenever we saw a fancy looking cafe, we'd go in for a short break. For lunch, we we had roasted chicken and bean sprouts. The tubby shaped bean sprouts was crunchy and tasty!

From Restoran Wong Koh Kee, we went to Ipoh Parade. Eday needed a place for work, so we spent some time at Starbucks. Come to think of it, we missed the chance of trying Ipoh white coffee! And, instead of any places of interest, we entered grave yard that we passed by after we left Ipoh Parade, hehe.

Checking out the grave yard.

Eday went for a haircut at Eroll Barbershop and off we went to Vantage Wine & Cigar Lounge once the barber had finished his job. We stayed here, slowly drinking two big bottles of wine and talking about friends, life and philosophy. In order to understand how slow we were, the Swarm app showed that I checked in at 5:17 PM and the next entry at Tuck Kee for yu kong hor and a plate of bean sprouts was around 10:52 PM. We spent close to six hours drinking wine and from time to time, the movie title Monty Python's The Meaning of Life came to mind. Alcohol and philosophy surely mixed well!

It was raining the whole night, but not heavy enough that we could still walk to Restoran Tuck Kee. After dinner, we rushed to Hard Rock Cafe before it was closed. The night ended at Warehouse, a Chinese drinking joint with a 3-piece Cantonese band. I had a sip of Guinness and Eday finished 4.5 glasses of ½ pint, haha.

At Hard Rock Cafe Ipoh.

The next day began at around 11 AM. We went back to Restoran Sun Fei Kee for brunch, then headed to the city to do laundry. While waiting, we tried the soy bean curd at Funny Mountain. Since our event happened only after dark, we booked a 3-hour karaoke session at Aeon, alternating between singing and attending involuntary work that came our way.

We still made calls when he headed for dinner. I misunderstood Wiwi's suggestion about salted chicken. I thought it was a cuisine you could enjoy on the spot, but it was actually a delicacy for one to bring home from Ipoh. As a result, we went to the nearest restaurant for bean sprouts. We ate another plate, our third and last, at Restoran Tauge Ayam Ong Kee. 

In front of Atap Speakeasy, figuring out how to get in.

Atas Speakeasy was just a walking distance, so we went there after dinner, but the hidden bar's door was locked. Wiwi helped to call, but nobody picked up, so I dropped an email and we went to a bar that is literally called Speakeasy. Thus began the bar hopping adventure, one glass for each bar namely Aftr Work, St. Patrick's (where we got acquainted with a Bee Gees fan) and St. James.

But still we were drawn to Atas Speakeasy. I got a reply that there'd be a slot after 9 PM. I reserved seats at 10 PM and even though I received no reply, we tried our luck. The door wasn't locked this time, so we finally managed to enter the hidden bar. The bartender/owner Alicia Mak greeted us and we ordered our drinks: Bees Knees for me, Helan Gar for Eday.

The ambience was nice. Atas Speakeasy felt like the hangout of Al Capone or an art deco from Shanghai Grand. When Alicia joined our table, she shared with us her dream of being a street performer one day. The dimly lit room, cocktails and passions blended in perfectly as the closure of our time in Ipoh. As Eday and I stood outside the hotel, we talked about the surreal experience we just had. We could have been bar owners that night...

Eday, moments before he headed to Penang.

Dari KL Menuju Ipoh

Teman saya Eday memulai liburan berdurasi enam minggu di awal tahun ini dan petualangannya mencakup Malaysia, Singapura, Thailand dan Indonesia. Sebelum ini, tidak pernah ada yang berlibur selama satu setengah bulan lamanya. Kestabilan dan pemahaman para ibu rumah tangga pun terguncang, tapi ini lebih pantas diceritakan di lain kali. Yang jelas liburan enam minggu ini nampaknya memuaskan sehingga jilid dua pun direncanakan dan dilaksanakan di bulan April. Persinggahan pertama ke Singapura bertepatan dengan kunjungan Hendra. 

Kemudian, setelah menyelesaikan kunjungan ke Indonesia, tibalah liburan ke Ipoh yang merupakan rangkaian dari tur Eday. Menarik untuk dicatat bahwa Ipoh bukanlah destinasi awal. Sebelumnya kita sempat berdiskusi tentang Vientiane dan Siem Reap, dua kota yang juga memiliki Hard Rock Cafe. Akan tetapi kota-kota ini ada problem tersendiri. Keputusan pun ditunda sampai liburan ke Cina usai. Akhirnya kita memutuskan untuk ke Ipoh lewat KL karena lebih praktis.  

Seni melihat ke langit dan menghindari pembayaran tagihan.

Penerbangan kita sama-sama tiba pada pukul 9:15 malam. Saya datang dari Singapura, sedangkan Eday terbang dari Jakarta. Setelah bersantap malam di KLIA, kita lanjut ke Hotel 99 di Kota Kemuning. Saya tertegun saat mengetahui bahwa resepsionis yang bertugas ternyata berhasil menemukan data saya yang sudah tujuh tahun lamanya, saat saya masih memegang paspor Indonesia. Lima menit setelah menaruh barang, tuan rumah Wiwi datang menjemput. Di malam itu saya pertama kalinya mencoba lok-lok di Malaysia, haha. 

Keesokan paginya, Wiwi membawa kita ke Pasar Sabtu. Saat kita hendak turun dari mobil, tiba-tiba saja dia merasa dandanannya terlalu heboh untuk ke pasar, hehe. Setelah membeli kue apam dan teh c, kita pun mampir ke rumahnya yang dijaga oleh anjing yang menggonggong keras dan siap menerkam tamu. Percakapan dengan suaminya pun berlanjut dengan cerita Eday ke Suriah. 

Di Klang, menyantap bak kut teh.

Untuk makan siang, kita menuju ke Klang yang terkenal dengan bak kut teh. Enak nian. Karena suaminya harus kembali bekerja, Wiwi lantas memutuskan untuk turut serta ke KL. Peristiwa bersejarah pun terjadi: Wiwi naik LRT bersama kita dari Alam Megah ke Pasar Seni! Mukjizat itu nyata saat melihat Wiwi berjalan bersama kita di bawah teriknya matahari, haha. 

Biasanya saya ke KL hanya untuk transit atau trip bisnis. Oleh karena itu, ini adalah kunjungan pertama saya ke Pasar Seni. Tempatnya mirip seperti Pasar Baru di Jakarta. Kita makan cendol, lalu lanjut ke Petaling Street untuk melihat Pecinan. Menurut saya, yang di Singapura tampak lebih bagus. 

Di Petaling Street.

Tatkala tiba waktunya untuk meminum kopi, kita pergi ke Suria KLCC. Kita duduk di San Francisco Coffee dan berbincang tentang apa saja yang bisa terpikirkan oleh tiga teman lama. Pas pukul enam malam, kita melanjutkan perjalanan ke KL Sentral dan lanjut ke Ipoh, berpisah dengan Wiwi yang kembali ke Kota Kemuning. 

Kereta KTM sangat dingin, namun temperaturnya menjadi lebih manusiawi saat kereta mulai bergerak meninggalkan stasiun. Langit telah gelap ketika kita menyantap makanan seadanya di kereta. Kita akhirnya tiba di Stasiun Ipoh menjelang pukul 10 malam. Dari sana, kira berjalan sekitar 25 menit untuk mencapai M Boutique Hotel. Desainnya condong ke zaman Kolonial Inggris. Air panas dan AC berfungsi dengan baik, tapi yang paling nyaman itu bantalnya.

Eday mengambil foto di M Boutique Hotel.

Seperti halnya liburan kita ke Phuket, kita tidak kejar setoran dan juga tidak memiliki tempat spesifik yang ingin dikunjungi. Karena itu, kita tidur sampai siang dan baru berjalan ke Concubine Lane sesudah menyeruput kopi dan teh di Restoran Sun Fei Kee. Sepanjang jalan, bila ada kafe yang unik, kita pun mampir sejenak. Untuk makan siang, kita memesan ayam dan kecambah. Toge Ipoh yang pendek dan gemuk ini lezat dan sedap untuk dikunyah. 

Dari Restoran Wong Koh Kee, kita pergi ke Ipoh Parade. Eday butuh tempat untuk bekerja, jadi kita duduk sejenak di Starbucks. Kalau dipikirkan lagi sekarang, kita ternyata tidak sempat mencoba kopi putih Ipoh! Bukannya ke tempat yang sering dikunjungi turis, kita malah ke kuburan yang terletak di seberang Ipoh Parade, hehe.

Berjalan-jalan ke kuburan.

Eday potong rambut di Eroll Barbershop dan segera setelah itu, kita naik Grab ke Vantage Wine & Cigar Lounge. Di sana kita minum dua botol anggur dengan perlahan sambil berbincang tentang persahabatan, kehidupan dan filosofi. Sebagai ilustrasi dari deskripsi kata perlahan, aplikasi Swarm menunjukkan bahwa saya masuk sekitar jam 5:17 PM dan selanjutnya kita menyantap yu kong hor dan sepiring kecambah di Tuck Kee pada pukul 10:52 PM. Hampir enam jam lamanya kita menikmati anggur dan tidak cuma sekali judul film Monty Python's The Meaning of Life melintas di benak saya. Alkohol dan filosofi memang cocok! 

Hujan turun di malam itu, namun tidak terlalu deras sehingga kita masih bisa berjalan ke Restoran Tuck Kee. Setelah makan malam, kita bergegas ke Hard Rock Cafe yang sudah hampir tutup. Malam itu berakhir di Warehouse, tempat minum orang Tionghoa yang menampilkan grup musik Kanton beranggotakan tiga orang. Saya hanya meminum satu teguk Guinness sementara Eday menenggak 4,5 gelas, haha.

Di Hard Rock Cafe Ipoh.

Hari berikutnya bermula jam 11 pagi. Kita kembali ke Restoran Sun Fei Kee untuk santap siang, lalu ke kedai dobi swalayan di tengah kota. Sambil menunggu cucian, kita pergi mencicipi kembang tahu di Funny Mountain. Karena acara kita baru mulai setelah malam tiba, kita karaoke selama tiga jam di Aeon, silih berganti menyanyi dan mengerjakan pekerjaan dadakan. 

Kita masih sempat rapat via telepon saat makan malam. Saya salah kaprah tentang ayam garam yang direkomendasikan Wiwi. Saya sangka ini menu yang bisa disantap di tempat, tapi ayam garam ini ternyata oleh-oleh untuk dibawa pulang. Alhasil kita mampir ke restoran terdekat untuk kecambah lagi. Piring ketiga dan terakhir pun dipesan di Restoran Tauge Ayam Ong Kee. 

Di depan Atas Speakeasy, mencari tahu cara masuk.

Atas Speakeasy berada tak jauh dari tempat kita makan, jadi kita pun berjalan ke sana. Di luar dugaan, pintu bar tersembunyi itu dikunci. Wiwi bantu menelepon, tapi tidak ada yang mengangkat, jadi saya pun mengirim email dan perjalanan dilanjutkan ke bar yang secara harafiah bernama Speakeasy. Dari situ petualangan dari bar ke bar pun dimulai. Seusai satu gelas, kita berpindah, mulai dari Aftr Work, St. Patrick's (di mana kita bertemu dengan sesama penggemar Bee Gees) dan St. James.

Kendati begitu, kita tetap ingin mengunjungi Atas Speakeasy. Saya mendapatkan jawaban bahwa akan ada jadwal kosong setelah jam sembilan malam, jadi saya pun pesan slot jam 10. Meski saya tidak menerima konfirmasi, kita tetap lanjut dan mencoba peruntungan kita. Kali ini pintunya tidak dikunci, jadi kita akhirnya berhasil memasuk bar tersembunyi. Pemilik sekaligus bartender bernama Alicia Mak menyapa kita dan minuman pun segera dipesan: Bees Knees untuk saya, Helan Gar untuk Eday.

Suasana terasa nyaman. Atas Speakeasy terkesan seperti tempat nongkrong Al Capone atau tata ruang bergaya Shanghai Grand. Ketika Alicia duduk dan bercakap-cakap dengan kita, dia bercerita tentang impiannya untuk menjadi seorang seniman jalanan di Inggris. Ruangan yang remang-remang, minuman beralkohol dan impian pun berpadu menjadi sebuah penutup yang penuh kenangan dari kunjungan kita ke Ipoh. Sewaktu saya dan Eday berdiri di depan hotel, kita membahas lagi pengalaman yang terasa seperti mimpi ini. Di malam itu, kita bisa saja menjadi pemilik bar... 

Eday, berfoto sejenak sebelum berangkat ke Penang.

Plan In Motion

I first started realizing this after the last year's trip to Japan. Many trips had come and gone since then, from Europe to Thailand. The last two, the China trip and Hendra's visit, confirmed what I had been feeling so far: it is magical how things always happen beyond what I have planned.

In order to understand what I was saying just now, let's go back a bit. You've heard about Robinson Travel. In one sentence, it can be described as the time when I'm reading and working on itinerary of places I want to go. There's fun in planning and imagining how things will play out. And yes, it's quite rewarding when those who join the trip turn out liking it, too. 

But I also learnt through many experiences recently that despite what I did, I was never the one responsible for the magic and laughter during the trips. No, they were spontaneous. It takes the chemistry among the participants as well as the right place and the right time for the memorable moments to occur. Case in point: the time we were at Hard Rock or even one as simple as the ice cream story in Sentosa. And that's the great thing about traveling together. 

I love the unforgettable adventure into the unknown with people I call friends and the funny things that come along the way. For all I know, the greatest memories I'd treasure for the rest of my life, ones that really mattered the most to me, could happen any time. And I certainly want to be part of it. 

This is why I disagree with those who say that there's still next time. For the fact that there's no formula to recreate the magic of togetherness, then there's no such thing as next time. It is now or you'll miss it. You go next time with other people, what you get will be an entirely different experience. 

Eventually, it's about priority and the time we have. I don't really repeat the same places, therefore Java road trip is a big no-no. Been there, done that. As I only have limited off days in a year, I don't wish to repeat what I had done back in 2019. The risk of what I'll miss is acknowledged and accepted.

So tomorrow, the world! While solo trip is not necessarily a bad idea these days, my personal favorite is, of course, another holiday brought by Robinson Travel. Another year, another captain, another new destination. Like I said before, I enjoy to be just one of the guys. It's always good to have a short break from being someone's husband, father, son, boss, staff, etc. The thing is, the world's so big, so let's go to places we've never been before! The miracle will happen!

The Hard Rock moment.

Rencana Dan Realita

Saya pertama kali menyadari hal ini setelah liburan ke Jepang di tahun 2023. Banyak liburan yang terjadi dan berlalu setelah itu, mulai dari Eropa sampai Thailand. Dua yang terakhir, liburan ke Cina dan kunjungan Hendra, meyakinkan saya tentang apa yang saya rasakan selama ini: sungguh suatu keajaiban bahwa apa yang terjadi selalu melebihi apa yang saya rencanakan. 

Untuk memahami apa yang saya katakan barusan, mari kita mundur sedikit. Anda sudah dengar tentang Robinson Travel. Secara singkat, rangkumannya adalah saat saya membaca dan menyusun rute tempat-tempat yang ingin saya kunjungi. Ada rasa senang saat merencanakan dan membayangkan apa yang akan terjadi nanti dan ya, ada pula rasa gembira saat yang ikut serta memberikan komentar positif. 

Namun saya juga belajar berdasarkan pengalaman bahwa saya tidak bisa merencanakan momen dan tawa yang terjadi dalam perjalanan. Semua itu spontan, terjadi karena interaksi bersama di saat dan tempat yang tepat. Contohnya adalah saat di Hard Rock atau bahkan hal sesederhana es krim vanila di Sentosa. Hal seperti inilah yang membuat liburan itu menyenangkan. 

Saya suka petualangan tak terlupakan ke tempat baru bersama teman dan juga hal-hal lucu dan berkesan yang terjadi sepanjang perjalanan. Di saat seperti inilah kenangan terindah dalam hidup, yang merupakan hal penting bagi saya, bisa terjadi. Saya ingin menjadi bagian dari kenangan tersebut. 

Ini alasannya kenapa saya tidak setuju dengan pendapat yang dengan mudahnya mengatakan masih ada lain kali. Nyatanya tidak ada rumus untuk menciptakan kembali kebersamaan yang terjadi, oleh karena itu sudah pasti tidak ada lain kali. Kesempatannya hanya sekarang atau anda akan melewatkannya. Anda pergi ke tempat yang sama bersama orang lain, maka berbeda pula pengalamannya. 

Pada akhirnya, semua ini adalah tentang prioritas dan waktu yang kita miliki. Saya sebisa mungkin tidak kembali ke tempat yang sama, jadi rute seperti keliling Jawa tidak akan saya lakoni karena sudah pernah. Berhubung saya memiliki cuti yang terbatas, saya tidak ingin mengulang lagi apa yang telah saya lakukan di tahun 2019. Resiko tentang apa yang saya lewatkan sudah saya pahami dan terima.  

Jadi mari melanglang buana! Walau berlibur sendiri bukanlah ide yang buruk di zaman sekarang, favorit saya tentu saja liburan bersama Robinson Travel. Tahun yang berbeda, kapten yang berbeda, tujuan yang berbeda pula. Seperti yang saya katakan sebelumnya, saya menikmati saat-saat hanya menjadi bagian dari teman-teman seangkatan. Kadang saya perlu berlibur dari peran sebagai seorang suami, ayah, anak, direktur, karyawan dan lain sebagainya. Dunia begitu luas, jadi mari bepergian ke tempat yang belum pernah kita kunjungi sebelumnya. Sesuatu yang menakjubkan akan terjadi!