The Risky Journal

Known as the city of malls, probably only few people know that Jakarta actually also houses dozens of museums. A wikipedia post lists more than 30 museums in the city! So, if you have been bored to visit shopping centers, you probably want to visit those museums. I have made a vow that I will visit museums more often this year. So far I have visited five museums. Why visiting museums? it's cheap and you can learn lots of things. For starter, last Sunday, I visited the National Museum located in Jl. Medan Merdeka Barat No. 18. The museum, which is also known as Museum Gajah (thanks to an elephant statue in front of its building), is located just across the Monas shelter of Transjakarta bus.

Yesterday was probably the most amazing and precious Saturday during my almost-two year stay in Jakarta. Instead of obeying to Jakartans' weekend ritual (read: visiting shopping centers. FYI, there are more than 70 shopping centers in Jakarta), I chose to visit the National Monument , widely known as Monas, located in the heart of the capital city. It is just 20 - 30 minutes by riding my motorcycle from my boarding house. I went there after a friend of mine told me that there would be several festivals being held at Monas.  Well, for your information, I rarely went to Monas. First, I usually avoid open space area during the day. The heat in Jakarta is unbearable. Second, it is rainy season. Lately, there has been no day without rain here in Jakarta. But, it turned out that my trip to Monas was quite wonderful.  Below are some pictures of my visit to the monument. Pictures tell a thousand words right?  Entering Monas . . .  Shady and breezy: The...

When I wander across streets in Indonesia, oftentimes, I find people that I think as superheroes. How come? Probably these pictures may describe what I think. Credit goes to  Pak Subaktyo   Above picture is taken from a blog. As you can see, the picture shows a motorcycle fully loaded – if not overload – with things that appear to be 28 white sacks. I don’t know how much each sack weighs. But, still, it is still very dangerous! Can’t you see the driver? Yes, you can only see his legs!! Then what about him? Can he see what is on his back through side mirrors? Definitely not! Then, I suppose he has some superpower to see through the back of his head (and through the pile of the white sacks) Retrieved from  kaskus.co.id   What about these two girls? Well it is just a common scenery you will find in various streets across in Indonesia. You will often find people riding motorcycle while texting, making a phone call or chatting through various chat messengers....

THOUGHTS?  This photo was taken next to the National Police headquarter on Jl. Trunojoyo in South Jakarta, in March. There is a sign stating that pedestrian is barred to either cross the street, or walk through that way. But, it left my mind in puzzles.  As long as I remembered, I saw no sidewalks along the street. Nor I saw zebra cross or elevated bridge to cross the highway. So, where are pedestrians supposed to walk? How can I as a pedestrian cross the street?  I have no answers either.

This post's title may sound weird. Who wants to hold picnic amongst tombstones? Well, I will ... if it is hold in Museum Taman Prasasti. Located at the heart of Jakarta, Museum Taman Prasasti offers its visitors with unique experience. Visitors will not be seeing diorama or charts of Indonesian history. Instead, visitors are presented with tombstones! Entrance of the Museum Taman Prasasti This 1.3 acre museum was actually a cemetery for noble Dutchmen when Dutch occupied Indonesia. After Indonesia's independence, the Jakarta administration turned it into a museum in 1977. Since then, it has become one of rare green areas in the city.  Don't worry if you will wake the death. All deceased bodies were procured by their families during the museum's construction. Some were also relocated to other cemeteries.  It is very easy to get to the Museum Taman Prasasti, by either using Transjakarta buses or public minivans.  If you decide to go with the former, ch...

What are you going to do if you are asked to live in the biggest landfill in Indonesia ? Probably you will reject that request soon enough. But I am glad that I have been “forced” to do that. My colleagues and I were asked by our office to abandon our ordinary live for three days to live inside Bantar Gebang Landfill.   A 30-meter trash mountain really is distinct scenery for me to enjoy on the last Monday. The odor from the stinky trash also made me hard to breathe. Then, I would also have mistaken waters running down the trash mountain as coca cola , if I did not realize that I was in Bantar Gebang Landfill. Later I know that the dark water is called lindi  water - water from piles of waste. Soon enough, I knew that I had no clue at what I was going to face in the next three days. Try to guess what's the grey mountain on the furthest back??  After a couple minutes from trash mountains, my friends and I finally entered a village. It is not an ord...

You probably wonder why my blog is decorated with snow flakes all over places... It's not that I celebrate Christmas (well Christmas is massively related to snow), but I admit that it has little thing to do with it. I watched latest Glee episode about Christmas and there is the scene that shows snows falling down from the sky. It was so beautiful that made me miss wandering around snow as I did earlier this year. Well I got the chance to enjoy my very first snow in my lifetime in United States. Thanks to US Department of State for granting me SUSI Scholarship. It was really cool when I watched, touched and felt snow for the very first time. It was cold, lol surely it is. A friend of mine even dared to eat it!! Lucky enough he did not get sick for eating it. Now, watching latest Glee episode entitled Extraordinary Merry Christmas brought me back to memorizing those joyful days of walking around the street when snows were falling down from sky, or even walking in the midst o...

I am sorry for neglecting this blog for ages. Some business in the past two months really kept me from updating this blog. Therefore, let me start by posting some lighter posting hahaha ... Well, the past two months were very hectic as I was involved in a recruitment process of becoming a journalist (a journalist to be precisely) in a very well known English newspaper in Indonesia. Thanks God, I was able to make it through. I am leaving Solo by the end of this month, sad, happy, excited, worried, oh well this feeling is indescribable ... Hahaha ... But surely I am going to walk through it. :) During the past two months, I traveled a lot, back and forth Jakarta and Solo (it will be fourteen time by the end of this month). Lucky me, I was still able to have vacation to Dieng Plateau, located in Central Java in October 2011. It was a great trip spent with my great friends. Well, below are some of great pictures taken by a very great photographer " Al Muwafiqi ". Lo...

Yesterday, September 8, 2011 finally i had my graduation ceremony. I am now officially hold the title "Bachelor in English Language and Literature" (although I prefer Bachelor in American Studies hahahahaaa). Shaking hands with pak Rektor UNS (saat maju menerima ijasah sempat ngeblank tiba-tiba teringat mama hhha somehow I just knew that she was also watching  this from above dan juga teringat wulan hiks) I thank all of my friends in English Department 2006 for their supports and companions during my time in ED. I was so relieved to have friends like them. I specially thank my American Studies 2006 class for everything they gave me in the last semesters of my study.

I just spent lebaran's holiday in Bali with my extended family. Yeah, we departed from Solo in September 1, 2011 spending four days there. Well, although I once went to Bali, this time the nuance was so different as I went there with my extended family, not friends. Below are some pictures of my trip :) Please enjoy my narcissism hahahahaaaa.....  Departure Ratna Transport's Bus

Last night, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II was finally released. Knowing nothing whether this movie will be released on time in Indonesia makes me worried. Well... today I will also release my unexposed story during my trip in US!! Hahaha ... You know what, I was lost in Hogwarts !! Yes that's true.  Here the story goes... It was a full fun day... My group and I visited the Islands of Adventure at Universal Studio, Orlando, Florida. Well... the only reason why I chose to visit this place instead of Disney Land was because there is this so called "the Wizarding World of Harry Potter" area hahahaha ...

I just got home from Solo Batik Carnival 2011. It was awesome. I needed efforts to get to the comfortable spot to watch this annual parade. This year, it was held in the evening causing more people flooding Slamet Riyadi Street, Solo. Yet, it was worth it. Below is some pictures that I captured, sorry if it is blurred. To get a very smooth picture in that kind of situation with just digital camera is such a heaven blessing hahaha...

Supreme Court USA, Washington DC During my trip to USA on January - February, I visited one of the most important building in US i.e. Supreme Court building. It is located in Washington , DC . Like any other governmental building in US, it is all painted white and it has Greek architecture style. It felt so great to be there. It felt like a dream since one year ago, I only studied it from text book in my American government class.  It was in the morning, and pretty cold, somewhere between 0 - 5 Celsius degree. I love the cold haha. I stood in a line with my group waiting for the door to open. Entering the building, like usual we needed to pass through a very tight security check. Then, the awesome part ... the museum ... Like any other governmental building in Washington DC , there is a museum that is opened for public, and it is free !!! I observed many photos, figures and else ... Then, I found this scripture... ...

Hey friends, other photo sets are on the go ... Below are some of my journey at the very first days of my visit to US. We were brought to some historical sites at the heart of Philadelphia. This city is really historic. There are some key events taking place here. To mention some are the drafting as well as the signing of Declaration of Independence and US Constitution. It is the hometown of Benjamin Franklin and is where he is buried. It is also a very historical city in the context of religious freedom. There are plenty religions exist there. There are various churches of Catholic and Protestant's denominations on every corner of the streets. The oldest synagogue is also located there. And, it is the city where American Muslims mostly live. Don't be surprised if you wander at the town and meet women in veils. Enjoy ... The Old City Philadelphia Trolley Tour Part I Part II of the trolley tour will be added soon I get the photos from my friend >,<

Participants of SUSI RPA Winter 2011 from Indonesia (Art Class) I create some photo set to remember my experience in SUSI RPA 2011 ... Enjoy ... The first set is my departure from Solo and Jakarta. The second set is about Temple University, Philadelphia. The last set is about class activities. Really missing these moments.... Departure - Arrival Temple University  In class - lectures - discussion Seriously, lectures in US are not boring. I really love how they teach us. There will be more photo sets in process just wait and see :)

SUSI for Student Leaders Religious Pluralism 2011 - The Great Participants- Slideshow of SUSI on Religious Pluralism  in order of appearance  .. 1. Zeva Aulia Sudana (International Relations-UNPAR) 2. Ghufron Mustsqim (International Relations-UGM) 3. Ratna Sari (International Relations-Universitas Jember) 4. Ilham Muh. Firdaus (English Education  - UIN Bandung) 5. Safitri Bonea P. (American Studies - UNS) 6. Febe Amalia H. (International Relations - UNPAD) 7. M. Iman Usman (International Relations - UI) 8. Jessica Angkasa (International Relations - UPH) 9. Asep Nanda P. (Accounting - UMS) 10. Elaine Tan (Business and Economics - UI) 11. Muhammad Rizqi A. (American Studies - UNS) 12. Nurul Ichsani (Communication - UNHAS) 13. Safrin La Batu (English Literature - UNHAS) 14. Salwa Amaliyah (Mathematics Education - IAIN Sunan Ampel) 15. Moh Hamli (Islamic History and Civilization  - UIN Jogja) 16. Nur Hayati S. (English Education - UIN Jakarta)...