Tag: indonesia

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Diary From the Attic

A Day of Food Adventure

Okay, today I feel a lot better.  I didn’t approach CC just because she has offended me yesterday.  She was very direct and I shall be better in listening to criticism.

Lunch time, Balquais suggested going to one of the oldest Japanese restaurant in Jakarta.  Getting there was really tough as the driver didn’t know where was the place we were referring to.  I still remember it was Chikini IV.

The food was quite cheap.  And because I was so warm and friendly, the waitresses all laughed at me.  They are nice people.  Then we went to AC Jakarta.  Quite an impressive office (very new).

At night?  Well, had a Chinese meal (very cheap beer, so far) and had a (terrible) dessert at Fashion Café.  They claimed that one will be open in Singapore next year.  We shall see.  The food is quite bad tough.

Went to gym again and accompany Balquais back to BUN and get her organiser (tomorrow needs to get up and go Bali).  She was so happy when I said there is no problem at all.

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Diary From the Attic

On This Day Hong Kong Returned to China

Today, I am officially a communist.  Hong Kong returned to China finally.  Catherine, Balquais, Kenneth, Robert, and I was watching the CNN Live at my apartment.  Kenneth’s wife called,  Robert called his wife, Catherine’s boyfriend called and for me?  No phone call.  What a sad life.

We did celebrate this handover thing at one of the beautiful Chinese restaurant.  Only $70 Singapore dollar per person.  Chicken feet for the project.  Robert even asked for a receipt with the tips added inside!  I was so embarrassed.

Talking about embarrassment, Catherine and I had a big agreement over the fact that I love Singapore during lunch at McDonald’s.  In the end, she pointed out that I make Hong Kong people shameful and I ‘take advantage’ of Singapore and so on.  I was so angry that I refused to talk to her for the whole night.

Playing guitar is fun.  Really fun and as for body building, it is going well.  I fell I have tightened a few muscles here and there.  Occasionally thinking of you-know-who and the sadness seems to have ‘matured’.

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Diary From the Attic

Touring Around Jakarta

Sunday in Jakarta.  Called up Robert and he was working in the room.  Called up Balquais but (CC told me) she would not be in until 12 pm.  Called up CC but she was still sleeping (10:30 am).  So I told CC to go back to sleep.

Starring out of the window, lying on my bed reading “Men from you-know-where and so on”.  Really boring!  Have the feeling that I have revisited the Paris days.

Wanted to go to Pasa Baru (something like that) to get my guitar but the place looks quite horrible.  Ended up lunching at one of the ‘good’ local hawker center.  CC and Robert both hate the place and complain a lot.  But I appreciate the culture itself.  I do pity Balquais who took the trouble in taking us around.

The culture is that before we even eat down, they will lay all the dishes onto the table.  Simple rule is that for those food we never touch, we don’t need to pay for.  Just eat and forget about ‘food-recycling’.

Knowing that CC and Robert were both desperate to get back, we dropped them at the Atrium.  Balquais and I then proceeded to the Bloke M.  Watched the movie “Marvin’s Room”.  She did cry.  I bought my guitar.

Gym tonight again.  What a nice weekend!

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Diary From the Attic

I Begin to Hate Jakarta

CC rang me (or us as in me and Robert) up this morning.  And it was the first time I met Balquais (CC’s roommate, a Malay who can speak Mandarin).  We had an Indonesian lunch, suppose to be quite good and began shopping at some random shopping malls for names I can never remember.

The traffic was so bad and we have spent so much time (and effort) just to move around.

Balquais is quite a nice person despite all the talking we have had.  We chatted quite a lot (she has studied in Durham, UK, for a year) and did CC just get jealous.  What to say?  A very interesting woman.

I think I begin to hate Jakarta already.

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Diary From the Attic

Take in One to Forget One

Another day of Minesweeper.  What to do?  We weren’t sure if we are going to continue the Jakarta project but today, it seems to work out slowly.  One thing about AC is that you will never know what happen next.

Had a quick lunch in McDonald’s and I guess CC was very happy about as she has been proposing going McDonald’s in the past one week.

We had a drink with one of the VP from BUN.  I drank quite a lot (free).  Three beers and a Martini double. And I am still fine.  We joke that CC has become my wife and so on.  I think I better stop myself thinking about her.  Who is JP by the way?  I have totally forgotten the whole business.  I guess Grace is right in saying that there are a lot of ‘fish’ out there.

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Diary From the Attic

High Fidelity, A Bloody Good Book

Finished the book “High Fidelity” last night.  Bloody good book and I love it so dearly.  I didn’t expect a kind of happy ending but it is just there.  Great book and definitely very addictive.  Will wait for his next book.

What’s work today?  A meeting talking about IBC (I was the main ‘speaker’) and the whole afternoon playing minesweeper.  CC is an expert on minesweeper.  Can even create a record of 190 sec on the expert level!  The more I look at her, the more I find her very similar to JP. Just a smaller version.  More Hong Kong like.  Interesting, very interesting.

To be or not to be?  Out of the question!  Ha.

Rumors that we will be moving out of Jakarta soon as there are too many modifications to the system.  Doug seems to be very ‘concerned’.

We four went and ate at Pizza Hut.  We had a fun time.

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Diary From the Attic

Feel Like a King

The whole day spent on Function Specification Meeting.  Tell you the truth, having meeting with the Indonesian is as bad as having meeting with the French.  Half of the time, we do not know what they are actually discussing.  In fact, I hardly care.

I think we will probably get bored of where to lunch pretty soon. We shall see.

CC is definitely a very interesting kind of woman.  I though my ex-girlfriend complains a lot and talk a lot over the ‘dollar sign’.  CC’s topic can sometimes be very predictable.  Is she the typical kind of woman?  I don’t know.  Interesting that she told us looking for a guy within AC would be nice.  The reason?  Even more bizarre – AC man becomes very quiet at night.  Talk too much during office hour I suppose.

Found a maid (very cheap) and bought a lot of stuffs (for the maid) in a supermarket not so near by.  A guy was actually willing to push the stuffs all the way from the mall to our apartment.  Feel like a king, really.

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Diary From the Attic

So She is Pretty

Okay, time to get settle down a bit.  Work is as usual – boring.  Jakarta does not seem that interesting so far.  Maybe we haven’t explored the disco yet.

Tonight, finally tonight, yes, we got out of our area and took a taxi to somewhere else.  I took Alex’s advise and went to “Green Pub”.  In fact, it is Mexican food.  Okay.  Live band I like it.  But it was a bit too loud.

CC is kind of pretty.  But she has a boyfriend.  Although she told us that it gets a bit boring (the relationship), I shall never even think of being the cause of a heartbreak of somebody else.  I know how it feels.  Tough luck, otherwise could have been quite nice.

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Diary From the Attic

Left Hong Kong and Now in Jakarta

Two weeks in Hong Kong and that has been gone.  Not exactly enjoyed for two weeks.  Sick for a week and how does that count?

Jakarta (first impression) seems not as bad as I thought.  Must be the ultra low expectation to begin with.  The days are long and we shall see.

A faint sense of loneliness.  A very familiar sense of loneliness.  A different place (environment), a different job but same kind of feeling.  Oh no, not to think about all these but to enjoy tomorrow while we can.

Bought a new novel called “High Fidelity”.  In any case, I shall not buy any new book but this one was irresistible.  Talking about girls dumping guys and all the sad love stories.  Well, kind of suit the scene.