Helping People

Do you know Daughtry's Song "Waiting For Superman"? Have you watched the music video?

Amazing video, meaningful and touching. That video talked about helping people. These days, more people being ignored, not noticed or beating up for doing what's right. Well, sometimes it's difficult to differentiate what you should do and what you should avoid doing, isn't it?

For example, when you should go by public transportation ex: Angkot or Bus, in time you met a lady who brought so much thing with his daughter. At their stop place, you just knew that they didn't have money to pay the cost. You should see the driver was getting mad and showing his grumpy face to that lady. In this case, people (including me) should try and be like that man in the video, giving hand when others needed the help. Pay the cost and be her "Superman" (If you are a woman, called "Superwoman", right? :D) and sure, seek nothing in return. There's a law of the universe where if you give out of yourself to others in different ways, especially monetarily it will be returned to you threefold. 

If you want to do something, do it willingly, graciously and with the sweatest smile you have. If you want to help, do it because you truly want to help or feel like it is your equal responsibility. In help, there's a lesson "the grass isn't always greener on the other side", be grateful and be happy with what you have. If you do it willingly, you'll know you are so blessed, you are luckier than them. In the end, you'll get a smug little smile on your face. Trust me!

NB: After I paid the cost for me and that lady, the grumpy driver smiles. Do you know happiness can spread to someone else? Smile.... :D

(Semi-Backpacking) Bandung - Second Day

Have you heard, "Rich men have to make a show out of everything they do.." Yeah... This second day of our trip was about get a false impression of the person and make strong judgments so easily without even knowing him/her yet. You just looked them from what they're wearing and what they bring.

Woke up in the morning and still on my bed. The schedule of breakfast from the hotel was at 6 am until 10 am. Well, It's Friday, the day when a day feel shorter. So, we had to start our trip earlier. But we went to lobby towards the restaurant at 7 am. Okay, it's a little too late to start the short day, whereas our check out time at 1 pm

Our Table and Those were my tea and my orange juice :)

My Morning Tea  :)

My Choco-Cheese Pancake :)

There's so much breakfast menu, all you can eat. I ate Pattaya Fried Rice, Omelette, Choco-Cheese pancake etc. I couldn't eat all in the end. Well, after ate as much as we could, we started our trip. Our first destination was Bandung Lautan Api Monument. Still went by Angkot. We arrived in front of the gate, and paid Rp. 1000,- for the entry ticket (but we didn't get the ticket paper). Well, there was so much of this place to embrace and explore. So, the price was nothing.

In the morning, this place was not as crowded as at night. But still had its dirty look. Rubbish and sidewalk vending stalls were everywhere. Beside its dirty look, there're so much beautiful sights. A bunch of Canna generalis (Scarlet Beauty), elders who's sun-bathing, younger who's walking and so many people who was enjoying the fresh air. I enjoyed when I was here. I became one of hundred people who bought something at the stalls. I bought 3 pairs of sock just becaused it's cheaper here than at my hometown. Overall, this place was amazing, just needed re-arrangement. 

Well, time was running so fast, it had been already 10 am. We went back to the hotel with the same way, after Angkot, we should walk from the intersection. The fact, we still didn't know how we could reach the bus station from our hotel. So, asked the security man of our hotel for the route was a good idea. 

This time, it happened to us. People so easily made some judgment based on what they look.

Me: "Excuse me, Sir. May I ask you something. How can I reach the bus station from here? Is it far?"

Security Man: "Not so far. You need to ride the Angkot twice. By the way, where will you go? Jakarta?"

Me: "Bekasi, Sir"

Security Man: "To Jakarta or Bekasi, with Primajasa Bus, you don't need to go to bus station. You can wait here. All of the bus through here."

Me: "Oh..Well.. Thank you so much. Now, let us go back to our room"

And here, I saw the shock face of the security man. He thought we were just a stranger, not his customer, it was becaused we didn't ride any vehicles. We walked just like the other pedestrian. And our style was so far from rich person maybe. He apologized and let us in with his guilty. GOD.. LOL!

We checked out at 1 pm. We waited the bus in front of the hotel. The Security Man was not there, just a subtitute there. It's okay. I didn't wanna see his guilty face again. LOL.

After 30 minutes we had waited, we were hungry. So, we decided to eat Bakso at the same place as the first time we eat while we were waiting for the bus.

And happened again. The Bakso seller didn't believe we stayed in that hotel. Oh GOD! I was smirking, never thought it could happen twice in the same day. 

Our bus had came and we should go home. Bye Bandung, bye Cendol Ketan Hitam dan Batagor, bye my security man, bye "Mamang Bakso", I wish I can go back there.

It's a lesson for us, don't judge a book by its cover. Don't judge people by how they look, what they're wearing or what they bring or you'll get the false impression. :)

NB: we are not rich men, so we don't need to show out what we do, what we have or what we ride. :D

(Semi-Backpacking) Bandung - First Day

Tuesday, April 1st 2014
No. I'm not a type who join or celebrate something like April Fools' Day. I'm not a good liar anyway. This day, I tried to look for a hotel in Bandung. I had planned, I would go there on Thursday. Felt so frustrated. It's becaused I found the favorite one, but the price, not as much as the money I had.
I asked my friend, he told me "price will never lied". I know that. The more expensive, the more you feel comfortable. Indonesia!!

Wednesday, April 2nd 2014
Still trying to find a hotel. And I had two choices, Grand Pasundan Convention Hotel (GPCH) or Zodiak Hotel. I made a call both. On the phone, GPCH's receptionist said 650.000 IDR for standard room include breakfast. Zodiak's said 450.000 IDR and all of the room they have is standard type. For many reason, GPCH was my choice.

Thursday, April 3rd 2014
I was getting ready, I have packed my things. Went to bus station at 9 am. The weather was too hot. I felt like Meat baked. Almost 32° C. Already 10.30 am and you hadn't come yet. I waited under a shelter but the shelter couldn't protect me from the bright sun. God! After this I need some skin treatment.

11.00 am
You've arrived. We started our first trip. Yeah... It was the first time we had a trip together. A long trip and went by bus. I was so excited

01.30 pm
Welcome to Bandung. We were at Leuwi Panjang Bus Station. First, we had to find GPCH. On the map, it's located not far from here. Okay, let's walk!

But....

After 30 minutes...

Huft... It's so far. And I got tired. We reached the intersection. Be based on the map, based on hotel sign, we had to turn right. But, based on Google Search we had to turn left. We decided to turn right...

Huft...

And 30 minutes later...
We couldn't find the hotel, nor a bank -Well, I needed to take some money first-

We were hungry and so tired. So, I tried to search on Google Map where is a nearest bank? It looked not so far (again) from Bandung Lautan Api Monument. But, we needed a ride, so we decided to go by Angkot. Arrived in front of the monument's gate, we walked from there, and surrounded the monument. Still thought it's not so far.

15 minutes later
We were soaked with sweat. And still couldn't find the bank. We were hungry. Constantly thinking about alternate possibility, I checked a map once again, Ah... We still needed 4 minutes and here it was the bank! Finally I found you.. *hug the money machine*

So.. We had to turn back to the first intersection. We went by Angkot (again). There's no Angkot towards to our hotel. So, from the intersection, we had to walk again. Huft...

We walked, and what a thing could make us laugh, there's a bank not so far from the intersection. What the hell. LOL!!

We found a Bakso restaurant. We filled our stomach first. We were too hungry. And a glass of orange juice had refreshed our body.

We laughed louder, there's one bank in front of our hotel. Hahahahahahaha... Why did Google map not detect them?

03.30 pm
We arrived at our hotel. And tried to ask the receptionist about the price before checked in. We got special price. 540.000 IDR for standard room. Yeay!

04.00 pm
Here I was. In my room...
A long and tired trip. But I enjoyed it. Took a bath, and got a rest. At night we wanted to see Bandung Lautan Api Monument area, and looked for a dinner.

08.00 pm
We found a food shop with so many delicious food, Elizabeth Resto. It's located at Otto Iskandardinata road. The Batagor and Cendol Ketan Hitam, 4 thumbs-up. Delicious and Cheap. A glass of Cendol Ketan Hitam was just Rp. 7000,-, Batagor Rp. 13.000,- and The Radish Sop Rp. 20.000. But I didn't like so much the radish soup. Someday, I'll came back and eat the Batagor again.

We ended the hazy and tired day. There's one more story about the second day. I'll tell you in the next post..

Went everywhere by Angkot, ate at non-prestigious places, but we stayed in 4 stars hotel. I called it, semi-backpacking. And we were semi-backpackers..Lol!