Parangtritis Beach or Paris Beach

We visited Parangtritis (Paris) end of 2012. It is located 27 km south of Yogyakarta. A beautiful but dangerous beach of the Indian Ocean

The afternoon before sunset is the best time to visit this most popular beach in Yogyakarta. Parangtritis Beach is very closely related to the legend of Ratu Kidul (Queen of South). Many Javanese people believe that Paris Beach is the gate of Ratu Kidul’s magical kingdom who controls the southern sea. So, do not swim on this beach, the waves are big and the current is strong. Do not go beyond knee-deep. Swim in the hotel's swimming pool instead.

We stayed in Hotel Queen of the South, the luxurious resort that is named according to this legend. he hotel is on top of a rock cliff, overlooking the Indian Ocean about 50 metres below. But the road leading to the hotel on the cliff is indeed very rough, so only go during daylight.

We choose a Superior room overlooking the ocean. The Superior room is spacious, serene and with its own terrace looking out to the sea. Heck, just draw the curtains to your full length windows and you can fall asleep in your bed looking out to the sea. If you want some privacy in vast open area, from the hotel walk alongside the rock cliff to a secluded area. The view is even better there, as the cliff curves toward the ocean.

When the sun is learning to the west and the weather is sunny, it’s time for having fun. Although visitors are prohibited from swimming, Paris Beach is not lack of the means for having fun. On the beach there is ATVs (all-terrain Vehicle) rental, the tariff is around Rp 50.000 ~ 100.000 per half hour. Another option is the carriage. Walking along the sand surface that is smoothly swept by the wave with two-wheeled horse-drawn where the cluster of rocks that is so beautiful.

Borobudur Temple

Borobudur, or Barabudur, is a 9th-century Buddhist monument in Magelang,Central Java, Indonesia. The monument consists of six square platforms topped by three circular platforms, and is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues. A main dome, located at the center of the top platform, is surrounded by 72 Buddha statues seated inside a perforated stupa.

Built in the 9th century during the reign of the Sailendra Dynasty, the temple’s design inGupta architecture reflects India's influence on the region, yet there are enough indigenous scenes and elements incorporated to make Borobudur uniquely Indonesian.

The monument is both a shrine to the Lord Buddha and a place for Buddhist pilgrimage. The journey for pilgrims begins at the base of the monument and follows a path around the monument and ascends to the top through three levels symbolic of Buddhist cosmology:Kāmadhātu (the world of desire), Rupadhatu (the world of forms) and Arupadhatu (the world of formlessness). The monument guides pilgrims through an extensive system of stairways and corridors with 1,460 narrative relief panels on the walls and the balustrades.

Evidence suggest Borobudur was constructed in the 9th century and abandoned following the 14th century decline of Buddhist and Hindu kingdoms in Java, and the Javaneseconversion to Islam. Worldwide knowledge of its existence was sparked in 1814 by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, then the British ruler of Java, who was advised of its location by native Indonesians. Borobudur has since been preserved through several restorations.

The largest restoration project was undertaken between 1975 and 1982 by the Indonesian government and UNESCO, following which the monument was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Borobudur is still used for pilgrimage; once a year Buddhists in Indonesia celebrate Vesak at the monument, and Borobudur is Indonesia's single most visited tourist attraction.

Wayang Museum (Shadow Puppet Museum).

 

Wayang Museum (used to be called as Shadow Puppet Museum) is museum that keeps collections of wayang from various territories in Indonesia and even from other countries.

 

Wayang Museum Building was constructed at a former old church location, which built by VOC in 1640 with a name of “de oude Hollandsche Kerk”. The church was functioned as a house of worship for Dutch civil and military in Indonesia until 1732. In 1733 the church was renovated and the name was changed to be “de nieuwe Hollandsche Kerk”. The building existed until 1808, until an earthquake broke it making the church could not be occupied anymore. On the location where the church previously stood, a building then constructed, it's the one stands there currently, which initially functioned as a warehouse belonged to Geo Wehry & Co. Initially in 1912, the front side of Wayang Museum was constructed with a Neo Renaissance style, but then in 1938 the whole building was renovated and adjusted to be like Dutch buildings in the colonization time.

 

 

 

 

 

Fasting Break

Weeks before Lebaran, my office held a breakfasting event at a nearby restaurant. Its a famous one located within Industrial Estate that split in two areas, outdoor and indoor. While waiting for the breakfasting time, the event began with a short speech from Board Member. A warm night shared with colleagues, was truly a blessing night full of cheerful moments.

Batukaras Beach

Batu Karas is a little village 1 hour away from Pangandaran. Batu Karas offers a nice beach for swimming and surfing. There are also several restaurants and hotels. This is a simple and remote village that will appeal to surfers, those wanting to immerse themselves in another culture, or anyone who just wants to get away from it all.

If you want something simple and peaceful, this is the place.

Saung Angklung Mang Udjo (SAU)

Sponsored by a 4 stars hotel in Purwakarta, I visited Saung Angklung Udjo (SAU) a one-stop cultural workshop, consisting of: performance venue, bamboo handicraft centre and bamboo instrument workshop.

 

The performance at Saung Angklung Udjo features the Angklung, but also incorporates Wayang Golek (wooden puppets), traditional dance, and the children’s orchestra into the show, so it’s interesting to watch as well as listen to.

The audience gets to participate during the show too. They teach everyone to play the Angklung by giving everyone an instrument that plays a single note. Each instrument is numbered – the conductor uses a variety of hand signals to let you when to shake your Angklung. And, following the final dance, the audience is invited onto the dance floor to dance with the performers. It’s all good fun!

It was established in 1966 by Udjo Ngalagena and his beloved wife Uum Sumiati, by a strong purpose and dedication to conserve and preserve Sundanese traditional art and culture. SAU illustrates nature and culture in harmony, it is no wonder SAU becomes a noticeable destination where people could experience Sundanese culture as a part of world heritage.

Apart from that, SAU has an honourable function as an educational laboratory and training centre to preserve the Sundanese culture - Angklung in particular.

Sangkanurip, Kuningan

This was very unusual vacation. On the way back to Jakarta from ‘Kampung Nenek”, we decided to drop by at Sangkanurip, Kuningan. It is located in the foothill of Mount Ciremai, approximately 35 Km from Cirebon towards Kuningan. Surround yourself in the beautiful sceneries and fresh mountain air.

Sangkanurip is one of the tourist villages that do not only rely on beautiful panoramas, but also water for health. In the small village at the foot of Mount Ciremai that mineralized hot springs flow. 

The point of the flow is not so much, only in certain joints. But that’s precisely what makes the Village Sangkanhurip be special. Hot water is contains various mineral elements, especially odium, used by the visitors to relax the muscles. Also believed, hot water, by use of routine, it is an effective way to combat rheumatism and destroying fat. Therefore, hot water pool in the cool area in the valley of Mount Ciremai was visited by many tourists.

The Green Festival

This is a festival for all.

The public is free to visit bringing their children, because this arena also provides a learn-as-you-play arena about the environment.

Visitors are first greeted by a model red earth made of steel showing how hot the planet can get. A virtual ice floor, where the ice cracks when someone steps on it, brings a sense of how fragile the ice in the North Pole is. The experience was heightened by screens showing flooding, the melting glaciers and storms. Cartoonists Benny and Mice put on a playful show about Jakartans' wasteful habits, with Mice watching three television sets, with the radio, fan and air conditioner on, and Benny talking about buying new cars that will only add to the pollution and long traffic jams. Bad habits related to global warming were highlighted in cartoons and pictures, depicting leaving the AC and TV set on when not in use and letting the water run when brushing teeth.

The free-of-charge event was collaboration of Kompas, MetroTV, Female Radio, consumer goods manufacturer PT Unilever Indonesia and state oil and gas firm PT Pertamina.

They are my Sisters!

I have four sisters and all of them are older than me. I love my sisters. They are truly my best friend and the women I most admire. We grew up in tough circumstances and we are so close as adults. Sometimes it brings tears to my eyes when I think about how lucky I am!

 

Having a sister is like having a best friend you can't get rid of.  You know whatever you do, they'll still be there.  ~Amy Li

Dress Up Prettty Kebaya!

Ladies, dare to look different with Kebaya! A woman wearing a kebaya is at her most beautiful. Traditional, unique, and elegant, Kebaya is usually worn in special occasions such as wedding ceremony, college graduation day, or parties.

Long time ago, Kebaya is commonly worn by women who live in rural and village. An urban woman who wore this kind of clothing was considered old-fashioned and conservative. However, with the changing of time and the increasing of knowledge, the art of Kebaya fashion increases rapidly thus making Kebaya more stylish and modern.

You, too, can try wearing Kebaya and enjoy the elegance of the Indonesian ethnic fashion.

Company Family Outing 2010

Due to stressful work or just a busy schedule often times we miss out on communicating with our co-workers on anything other than “employee talk”. We do get our work done but miss out on really knowing the person we work with 25 hours a week!

In experience managing for company outing, the co-worker was much enhanced by regular yearly activities which involved family outing together, picnic or going together. These activities gave the co-workers good time to unwind, to be with their families during the weekend and also getting to know each other better. It offers a chance to the spouse and kids to meet mom/dad’s co-workers and bosses.

Taking on the role of chairman of my company can be fun. The planning process provides an opportunity to show off my leadership, organization skills, increase my confidence and self-esteem and an opportunity to get to know relatives like I have never known them before!

Cocktail Party

Last night I spent a fabulous evening at 4* Hotel in Purwakarta.
 

Celebrating the Earth Day on April 22nd, 2011, the organization invited their guests and bookers as well to participate in making the earth greener by planting trees.

Even all guests were not seated but remain standing; an evening cocktail party - with some variety of meals displayed on platters - still gives me a chance to mingle among them.

New staffs from their organization were introduced and also made new contacts with some people working in the same housing estate in KBI.

It was really an ideal way to spend a Tuesday night!

Swiss Delegation the organization

This is the delegation from Switzerland who made visit to our organization. Organized by Swiss Embassy, the group was interested in exchanging of views on various topics between Swiss companies that operating in Indonesia.  The aim of their coming was to attending the Joint Economic and Trade Commission meeting between Indonesia and Switzerland. There were 2 Swiss delegates each from Department of Economy, Department of External Affairs and Department of Environment.

Fun Camp

If you have are very rare to go on camping (like me), you may be asking yourself the question, "Why is camping fun? What's so great about camping anyway?"

The adventure of living in the outdoors makes camping fun and enjoyable for young and old a like. The outdoors experience can be enjoyed by anyone...

Camping is like taking a vacation for a day, overnight or for the whole weekend. It's the best way to relax and unwind after a long, hard week of work. One gets revitalized in the morning freshness with clear air and dewy surroundings. Camping is fun and an easy outdoor activity. There are many things to do for you and your camping buddies. Living in cities, one often misses gazing at the stars. Sleeping under the open sky on camping nights, gives you the chance to learn about the different constellations and stars. I did it when friends when we were going on fun camp in Gunung Bunder, Bogor.

If you enjoy the quite atmosphere, wideness, trees and isolation from the crowded cities, camping is for you. You will get dirty, soaked in dust and mud, yet you'll love the experience.

My first Thanksgiving

This is my first Thanksgiving.  From films I have some imaginations about what Thanksgiving is and I am really eager to experience this event life. Through job rotation program in my work I got the opportunity to celebrate Thanksgiving in an American family. In Switzerland …!

Thanksgiving Day is the fourth Thursday in November, but many Americans take a day of vacation on the following Friday to make a four-day weekend.  The Thanksgiving feast became a national tradition -- not only because so many other Americans have found prosperity but also because the Pilgrims' sacrifices for their freedom still captivate the imagination. Thanksgiving Day in America is a time to offer thanks, of family gatherings and holiday meals. A time of roast turkey, cranberry sauce, potatoes, and pumpkin pie…..!

 Many thanks to the family Alexander for their grand hospitality!! I had a wonderful evening together with their family. They made my first Thanksgiving a great experience!

Reunion with old buddies from TarQ

I believe that friend always friend doesn’t matter what happen, but of course, if you hang out with them more, it will tighten the relationship. Life has been so busy lately, so it was nice to get a call from my old college friend asking if I wanted to catch up and have dinner together. So, I had dinner with some old college buddies at Japanese Restaurant in South Jakarta. The restaurant is very small and the tables are placed very close to one another. Reasonably priced coz they had promo with including the 50% off.

We had a great night! Plus we always have fun and it is good to see everybody again. I love all my friends and treasure them dearly. We wish to keep all ex-pupils informed of the exciting news from the College as it happens

 “Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art… It has no survival value; rather is one of those things that give value to survival.” – C. S. Lewis

Gathering of 3 family generation

Life gets busy. Work gets stressful, and social activities become more of a priority… getting together with a big family is soon forgotten!

This family gathering was held to celebrate Tante En Bday….
The Sugiono was there to the catch up with family members and enjoy special moment of an evening in December. So, meeting with my big family is a rare opportunity to meet, relax and enjoy each other. Sometimes having fun with my big family is motivation enough for everyone to get together, and sometimes we might need a little motivation. I was fortune to be a part of this multigeneration gathering coz few years, my Dad passed away.
So, honor thy family. It is a forgotten gift!

Nature's Blessing

People are becoming more environmentally aware every day, and as they do that they are thinking more about how to ply their skills in a way that can make a difference. Corporations around the globe – as well - are going green and contributing to environmental causes. They do this both to bolster their marketing image, and simply to be good citizens and contribute positively to their communities.

These outdoor activities such as (morning trekking, painting, catching fish) were done during ‘Green Forest Programme’ held by a 3 stars hotel in Purwakarta. The Corporation was undertaking a wide variety of projects with regard to Eco Energy Sources and encouraged bookers and/or guests to adopt environmentally friendly (and often cost-effective) steps.

Prambanan Temple

Prambanan is located in Central Java, about 15 miles away to the west of Yogyakarta and just beside the main road between Yogyakarta and Solo. So it is easily accessible from both cities. It takes only about half hour to get there from Jogjakarta.

Prambanan is the masterpiece of Hindu culture of the tenth century. The slim building soaring up to 47 meters makes its beautiful architecture incomparable. Prambanan temple has three main temples in the primary yard, namely Vishnu, Brahma, and Shiva temples. Those three temples are symbols of Trimurti in Hindu belief. If you feel tired of enjoying the relief, you can take a rest in the beautiful garden in the complex.

The damage caused by the disastrous earthquake in 2006 still can be seen though is being reconstructed by local authorities who are currently working hard to rehabilitate the temple. Further, it’s recommended to see the ballet playing at the temple (Sendratari Ramayana). Do not miss it; this will make your experience unforgettable.

Ice World

This is a long picture taken at Ice World!

Experiencing a cold snap for the first time must indeed be an intense experience.

During the holiday, Ice World, which features a 50-meter-long ice slide and dozens of ice carvings of children's movie characters, had about 2,500 visitors a day. In the first hall there are snow men and a huge ice slide for the children. For some people – including us - who never experienced winter weather before it must be fascinating! Some kids were trying their hand at snowball fights while others seemed to be starting to feel a bit uncomfortable. Many people laughed and joked and watched mesmerized as their breath condensed in the cold air.

To enjoy this recreational park, we have to wear long sleeves and trousers and bring hats and gloves (parkas available there). For Rp 50.000,- at that time) you too can experience that quintessential Bule (Westerner's) winter. That is Ice World!