Thursday, August 12, 2010
The Remaining Days on Java
To start our holiday we went to Yogyakarta, Prambanan, Borobudur, Mount Bromo and Mount Ijen. Each of these places offered a completely unique and exceptional experience. I'll blog about it later ;) (have to go relax on the beach)
Friday, August 6, 2010
Last Official Working Day
Well, it is my last day at GBC Indonesia as an intern. But I'm not saying goodbye yet!
For 3 weeks I will be travelling across Java, then to Bali and Lombok and Gili Islands and wherever else the wind takes me.
After that time, I will come back to Jakarta for one more week.
So although my time here is "officially" done, its not yet time to get emotional.
See you again GBC Indonesia in 3 weeks!
For 3 weeks I will be travelling across Java, then to Bali and Lombok and Gili Islands and wherever else the wind takes me.
After that time, I will come back to Jakarta for one more week.
So although my time here is "officially" done, its not yet time to get emotional.
See you again GBC Indonesia in 3 weeks!
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
PHOTOS: Hiking and Wedding
Yogya Javanese Wedding
Photo album:
Ibu Naning had invited us as special guests to attend this wedding. It was really interesting seeing some of the traditional customs taking place during the course of the wedding. Weddings are a fairly long process here and many things occur. Have a look at the pictures, it was beautiful.
Bogor and Gunung Salak
Photo album:
This trip was a trip I took about 2 weeks ago, just before I got sick. My goal was to go on a random adventure out of Jakarta and thats what ended up happening. On Friday I went to Bogor with Matt and Erlin. We walked around, stayed the night and checked out the Botanical Gardens the next day.
After the gardens we met up with a group of CouchSurfers and went camping near Cicurug. We then went hiking to Kawah Ratu, Gunung Salak. It was an amazing hike. The landscapes kept changing dramatically and near the end we even got soaked by heavy rainfall... which was very refreshing after a long hike.
Photo album:
Ibu Naning had invited us as special guests to attend this wedding. It was really interesting seeing some of the traditional customs taking place during the course of the wedding. Weddings are a fairly long process here and many things occur. Have a look at the pictures, it was beautiful.
Bogor and Gunung Salak
Photo album:
This trip was a trip I took about 2 weeks ago, just before I got sick. My goal was to go on a random adventure out of Jakarta and thats what ended up happening. On Friday I went to Bogor with Matt and Erlin. We walked around, stayed the night and checked out the Botanical Gardens the next day.
After the gardens we met up with a group of CouchSurfers and went camping near Cicurug. We then went hiking to Kawah Ratu, Gunung Salak. It was an amazing hike. The landscapes kept changing dramatically and near the end we even got soaked by heavy rainfall... which was very refreshing after a long hike.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
My Spirits Lifted
Hello =)
I'm a Canadian, living in Indonesia. My immune system has become familiar with many western bacteria and can defend itself there. Throw me on a plane and drop me on the other side of the world in a tropical climate with a different level of general sanitation and the result will be my last 2 weeks. I've been sick... diarrhea, vomiting, fevers, hospital and missing work. I was put on all sorts of medication, and this completely messed up my body. I couldn't sleep at night, and was nauseous in the day. I would stay awake all night, and hide away in bed all day. I think its understandable my mood wasn't too healthy either.
I'm now finally improving =) I've finished my last dose of medication, and no longer feel awful. I've been to work this week, and got back into the swing of things! Although I'm still playing catch up with my projects... as I only have one week left of my internship, I feel happy, just to feel good. (albeit the minor sniffles) I'm finally able to eat again, so I plan on gaining back the weight I lost. I look like a twig right now =P
My final task at work is to present at Binus University to a group of students and professors about what I feel - through my foreign perspective - is the current status of sustainable education and awareness in Indonesia. I've done interviews with students, professors and deans at the Universities, researched online and also experienced first hand by living here for 3 months. I would like to invite you all to see my presentation, as it obviously will contain more than I can write in this blog, but sadly thats not possible.
As the title of this blog reads "My Spirits Lifted" I would like to expand on this. Not only am I happier because I've recovered, but also because of two amazing and refreshing experiences these past couple of days.
Trashion
Meet Ibu Yanti...
I move out of my apartment at Poins Square today. (Goodbye swimming pool) Throughout my time at the apartment I collected all my dry waste. It felt unnatural to throw out my plastic bottles and everything I would normally recycle in Canada. For a long while I had no idea what I would do with all this stuff... it just sat there, waiting for someone like Ibu Yanti. Thankfully, while at a Language Swap gathering with CouchSurfers I was referred to "Trashion".
The main method in Jakarta for disposing of the plastic waste is to throw it in the river. The more environmentally conscious people give it to the garbage scavengers all around the city. This is her main source of recyclable material.
They take all such things as I collected and turn them into products such as Umbrellas, Bags and even Flip Flops.
Their first project was to completely revitalize their village. When I had arrived, it was refreshing to see a leaf canopy, and plants lining the streets. All residents in the area give their refuse to her. It was the first such green village I've seen in Jakarta.
Please visit her website at http://www.ardescolection.com to see more of her products.
Kampung Banjarsari
While working on my presentation for Binus University, I was researching for "green" community projects. One amazing example I found was Kampung Banjarsari - a small village in the heart of Jakarta, only 15 minutes from my office. It is a UNESCO pilot project for community based waste management. The pilot project has ended, however, Harini Bambang Wahono has dedicated herself to maintaining the village character and sustainability.
Harini Bambang Wahono, a 79 year old woman, is now known as the village head. She has created a classroom, where she invites children and trash collectors, and residents of Jakarta to come and become informed about environmental issues.
She teaches the trash collectors how to create lamps out of plastic bottles, so they can sell them for income (Trash collectors are among the poorest people in Jakarta):
She knows the benefits of many different types of plants. She showed me a plant that helps to cure Hepatitis (30 million people in Indonesia have been diagnosed with Hepatitis), a plant that absorbs the pollutants in the air, and another that is said to make you lose weight!
All waste generated by the community is seperated. That which can be composted - is composted.
With the help of her friend Dona Carmen - who holds lectures for children to understand the benefits of the natural environment, including oxygen production - and the cooperation of the villagers, Harini Bambang Wahono has transformed their village into a green living oasis in the middle of a polluted sprawling urban jungle.
And the awards prove it:
More photos of Kampung Banjarsari:
Click on album...
I'm a Canadian, living in Indonesia. My immune system has become familiar with many western bacteria and can defend itself there. Throw me on a plane and drop me on the other side of the world in a tropical climate with a different level of general sanitation and the result will be my last 2 weeks. I've been sick... diarrhea, vomiting, fevers, hospital and missing work. I was put on all sorts of medication, and this completely messed up my body. I couldn't sleep at night, and was nauseous in the day. I would stay awake all night, and hide away in bed all day. I think its understandable my mood wasn't too healthy either.
I'm now finally improving =) I've finished my last dose of medication, and no longer feel awful. I've been to work this week, and got back into the swing of things! Although I'm still playing catch up with my projects... as I only have one week left of my internship, I feel happy, just to feel good. (albeit the minor sniffles) I'm finally able to eat again, so I plan on gaining back the weight I lost. I look like a twig right now =P
My final task at work is to present at Binus University to a group of students and professors about what I feel - through my foreign perspective - is the current status of sustainable education and awareness in Indonesia. I've done interviews with students, professors and deans at the Universities, researched online and also experienced first hand by living here for 3 months. I would like to invite you all to see my presentation, as it obviously will contain more than I can write in this blog, but sadly thats not possible.
As the title of this blog reads "My Spirits Lifted" I would like to expand on this. Not only am I happier because I've recovered, but also because of two amazing and refreshing experiences these past couple of days.
Trashion
Meet Ibu Yanti...
I move out of my apartment at Poins Square today. (Goodbye swimming pool) Throughout my time at the apartment I collected all my dry waste. It felt unnatural to throw out my plastic bottles and everything I would normally recycle in Canada. For a long while I had no idea what I would do with all this stuff... it just sat there, waiting for someone like Ibu Yanti. Thankfully, while at a Language Swap gathering with CouchSurfers I was referred to "Trashion".
The main method in Jakarta for disposing of the plastic waste is to throw it in the river. The more environmentally conscious people give it to the garbage scavengers all around the city. This is her main source of recyclable material.
They take all such things as I collected and turn them into products such as Umbrellas, Bags and even Flip Flops.
Their first project was to completely revitalize their village. When I had arrived, it was refreshing to see a leaf canopy, and plants lining the streets. All residents in the area give their refuse to her. It was the first such green village I've seen in Jakarta.
Please visit her website at http://www.ardescolection.com to see more of her products.
Kampung Banjarsari
While working on my presentation for Binus University, I was researching for "green" community projects. One amazing example I found was Kampung Banjarsari - a small village in the heart of Jakarta, only 15 minutes from my office. It is a UNESCO pilot project for community based waste management. The pilot project has ended, however, Harini Bambang Wahono has dedicated herself to maintaining the village character and sustainability.
Harini Bambang Wahono, a 79 year old woman, is now known as the village head. She has created a classroom, where she invites children and trash collectors, and residents of Jakarta to come and become informed about environmental issues.
She teaches the trash collectors how to create lamps out of plastic bottles, so they can sell them for income (Trash collectors are among the poorest people in Jakarta):
She knows the benefits of many different types of plants. She showed me a plant that helps to cure Hepatitis (30 million people in Indonesia have been diagnosed with Hepatitis), a plant that absorbs the pollutants in the air, and another that is said to make you lose weight!
All waste generated by the community is seperated. That which can be composted - is composted.
With the help of her friend Dona Carmen - who holds lectures for children to understand the benefits of the natural environment, including oxygen production - and the cooperation of the villagers, Harini Bambang Wahono has transformed their village into a green living oasis in the middle of a polluted sprawling urban jungle.
And the awards prove it:
More photos of Kampung Banjarsari:
Click on album...
Friday, July 9, 2010
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Remember Me?
Definitely put this one off far too long... Let's get right into it:
1) I've been focusing my time on reading as much as possible about all different aspects of Indonesia in relation to 'green building'. I’ll admit I have sometimes expanded to the larger subject of the environment as a whole and I've become most interested lately with waste and water management. To expand a little about these points, here is a good example:
Pulau Tidung - To the north of Jakarta there is a collection of small islands named the Thousand Islands, a popular weekend destination for most Jakartans, to escape the city and have an island getaway. That is exactly why we decided to go as well. We woke up early at 4am and got to the northern port of Jakarta. This place also functions as a fish market, so you could imagine the smell. It is an area in Jakarta that sees frequent flooding, so everything is in pretty bad shape. You kind of have to see it to understand it haha... and I know that doesn’t help you readers out too much. We got on the boat, and travelled to the island Pulau Tidung. It was a 2 hour trip by boat, and garbage surrounded the boat in the water for the first part of the trip. Later on it was much cleaner but when we arrived at the island we were all a little disappointed. The beach was completely covered with all sorts of scattered garbage, the water was hazy from the dumped sewage of the locals, and the trees on this small island were being chopped down. The fish I ate for breakfast, lunch and dinner came from the same sewage waters and the bridge from which kids jumped into the water was directly beside the toilet which empties into the water. We nicknamed the place “Garbage Island”.
Later we went on a snorkelling trip. Everybody was standing on the coral with their flippers, which severely damages the coral, which took many years to form. I got lost from my group at one point, and I was tired of swimming, so I hopped on a random boat. The man spoke English and told me how proud he is to be a resident of Pulau Tidung. His parents and their parents and his children and most likely their children are native Pulau Tidung-ites. His boat was leaking oil into the sea directly above the coral reefs. I pointed it out to him and he was embarrassed. Understandable, I trust he will fix it as soon as he finds the resources and money to do so. I asked him why the locals do not take better care of their island. He told me it’s mainly because they have grown up seeing the garbage and dumping the sewage and they know no different. Yet he did. I hope because of our conversation he will think more about the situation and do something to better his native island.
I do not get angry with or blame the island inhabitants for what they have done to the island. They are trying to make a living just as any other human being does, and they need to dump their sewage somewhere, and put their garbage somewhere. There is no infrastructure or awareness in place yet so they have no choice. I hope those readers from Canada and other more developed locations can take this story and appreciate the services available to them. There is no reason why somebody in Toronto should throw their garbage on the ground. No company should dump their by-products into the lake. We have a choice; we have solutions - so please be thankful of this and be responsible. If the locals of Pulau Tidung had a choice, I’m certain they would choose to protect their cherished home and keep it clean.
2) The pros and cons of being a bule (foreigner) in Indonesian – I keep telling people this would be an excellent topic to write a book on. As a bule I am instantly granted celebrity status and people act much differently with me than an average Indonesian local. In the beginning it was fun, but now I feel differently about it. I did not do anything spectacular to earn this celebrity status; I am an average person just like the next person in the store line up. I respect the hospitality of the local people, but many times I feel indebted to them. I am a person who has been raised to clean up after themselves, hold the doors for others and take care of themselves. Many times I have these things done for me, and like I said before, I appreciate it and understand the nice gesture, but I feel indebted to people. The paleness of my skin and the length of my nose (they like long noses here) have influenced my experience in Indonesia. It would be interesting to experience the country as a local, but that is obviously not possible.
3) My reports – As an intern with the WGBC I am required to write a report with a sustainable building theme. I am currently in the process of researching as much as possible about green building in Indonesia and trying to gain an understanding of the local building habitat. My report so far is going to contrast the GBCI Greenship NB (new building) rating system to the CaGBC LEED Canada NC 2009 rating system. I would like to provide an argument outlining the background attributes that have influenced the rating system Greenship. I’ve recently also become more interested in the housing here in Indonesia and how it can become more green. I’ve looked at vernacular architecture examples (traditional building) and how these practices can be incorporated into modern housing design. This new interest is leading me astray from the comparison to LEED Canada NC 2009 and instead I’m starting to become interested in how Indonesia could build green neighbourhoods with less of a modern western influence (mechanical ventilation, artificial lighting) and instead use local best practices in coordination with the Greenship Rating system. We’ll see where this all ends up going. It’s a constantly evolving project.
4) Humber College Co-op – I applied for this internship initially to satisfy my co-op requirements for my program at Humber – Sustainable Energy and Building Technology. I would like to hereby thank my program coordinator Kerry Johnston for posting this opportunity and providing me with my reference letter, all my professors and classmates who have educated me, everyone at the co-op department especially Lynda Jackson for helping me get here, York (Larissa, Natasha) and WGBC (Nicole) for providing the opportunity to come here.
5) Travel time – I have only a short 4 weeks left with GBCI and I plan to make the best of it. Unfortunately I missed a week because I got very sick – self diagnosed as Ecoli - (most likely because of the food I consumed on “garbage island”) so I’ve been playing catch up. Once it all ends though I have dedicated a month here in Indonesia to travel. I will be going east from Jakarta, across Java Island, visiting Yogyakarta area, Bromo volcano, Bali, Gili Islands, Lombok and hopefully Komodo Island. The traveller’s website I mentioned in my first blogs has helped me find many new friends here in Jakarta and I’ve enjoyed every experience with them. I hope to meet many of you Couchsurfers during my travels to enrich my experience in Indonesia.
That should be enough for now... Talk to you soon =)
p.s. Martabak is deliciousssss!
1) I've been focusing my time on reading as much as possible about all different aspects of Indonesia in relation to 'green building'. I’ll admit I have sometimes expanded to the larger subject of the environment as a whole and I've become most interested lately with waste and water management. To expand a little about these points, here is a good example:
Pulau Tidung - To the north of Jakarta there is a collection of small islands named the Thousand Islands, a popular weekend destination for most Jakartans, to escape the city and have an island getaway. That is exactly why we decided to go as well. We woke up early at 4am and got to the northern port of Jakarta. This place also functions as a fish market, so you could imagine the smell. It is an area in Jakarta that sees frequent flooding, so everything is in pretty bad shape. You kind of have to see it to understand it haha... and I know that doesn’t help you readers out too much. We got on the boat, and travelled to the island Pulau Tidung. It was a 2 hour trip by boat, and garbage surrounded the boat in the water for the first part of the trip. Later on it was much cleaner but when we arrived at the island we were all a little disappointed. The beach was completely covered with all sorts of scattered garbage, the water was hazy from the dumped sewage of the locals, and the trees on this small island were being chopped down. The fish I ate for breakfast, lunch and dinner came from the same sewage waters and the bridge from which kids jumped into the water was directly beside the toilet which empties into the water. We nicknamed the place “Garbage Island”.
Later we went on a snorkelling trip. Everybody was standing on the coral with their flippers, which severely damages the coral, which took many years to form. I got lost from my group at one point, and I was tired of swimming, so I hopped on a random boat. The man spoke English and told me how proud he is to be a resident of Pulau Tidung. His parents and their parents and his children and most likely their children are native Pulau Tidung-ites. His boat was leaking oil into the sea directly above the coral reefs. I pointed it out to him and he was embarrassed. Understandable, I trust he will fix it as soon as he finds the resources and money to do so. I asked him why the locals do not take better care of their island. He told me it’s mainly because they have grown up seeing the garbage and dumping the sewage and they know no different. Yet he did. I hope because of our conversation he will think more about the situation and do something to better his native island.
I do not get angry with or blame the island inhabitants for what they have done to the island. They are trying to make a living just as any other human being does, and they need to dump their sewage somewhere, and put their garbage somewhere. There is no infrastructure or awareness in place yet so they have no choice. I hope those readers from Canada and other more developed locations can take this story and appreciate the services available to them. There is no reason why somebody in Toronto should throw their garbage on the ground. No company should dump their by-products into the lake. We have a choice; we have solutions - so please be thankful of this and be responsible. If the locals of Pulau Tidung had a choice, I’m certain they would choose to protect their cherished home and keep it clean.
2) The pros and cons of being a bule (foreigner) in Indonesian – I keep telling people this would be an excellent topic to write a book on. As a bule I am instantly granted celebrity status and people act much differently with me than an average Indonesian local. In the beginning it was fun, but now I feel differently about it. I did not do anything spectacular to earn this celebrity status; I am an average person just like the next person in the store line up. I respect the hospitality of the local people, but many times I feel indebted to them. I am a person who has been raised to clean up after themselves, hold the doors for others and take care of themselves. Many times I have these things done for me, and like I said before, I appreciate it and understand the nice gesture, but I feel indebted to people. The paleness of my skin and the length of my nose (they like long noses here) have influenced my experience in Indonesia. It would be interesting to experience the country as a local, but that is obviously not possible.
3) My reports – As an intern with the WGBC I am required to write a report with a sustainable building theme. I am currently in the process of researching as much as possible about green building in Indonesia and trying to gain an understanding of the local building habitat. My report so far is going to contrast the GBCI Greenship NB (new building) rating system to the CaGBC LEED Canada NC 2009 rating system. I would like to provide an argument outlining the background attributes that have influenced the rating system Greenship. I’ve recently also become more interested in the housing here in Indonesia and how it can become more green. I’ve looked at vernacular architecture examples (traditional building) and how these practices can be incorporated into modern housing design. This new interest is leading me astray from the comparison to LEED Canada NC 2009 and instead I’m starting to become interested in how Indonesia could build green neighbourhoods with less of a modern western influence (mechanical ventilation, artificial lighting) and instead use local best practices in coordination with the Greenship Rating system. We’ll see where this all ends up going. It’s a constantly evolving project.
4) Humber College Co-op – I applied for this internship initially to satisfy my co-op requirements for my program at Humber – Sustainable Energy and Building Technology. I would like to hereby thank my program coordinator Kerry Johnston for posting this opportunity and providing me with my reference letter, all my professors and classmates who have educated me, everyone at the co-op department especially Lynda Jackson for helping me get here, York (Larissa, Natasha) and WGBC (Nicole) for providing the opportunity to come here.
5) Travel time – I have only a short 4 weeks left with GBCI and I plan to make the best of it. Unfortunately I missed a week because I got very sick – self diagnosed as Ecoli - (most likely because of the food I consumed on “garbage island”) so I’ve been playing catch up. Once it all ends though I have dedicated a month here in Indonesia to travel. I will be going east from Jakarta, across Java Island, visiting Yogyakarta area, Bromo volcano, Bali, Gili Islands, Lombok and hopefully Komodo Island. The traveller’s website I mentioned in my first blogs has helped me find many new friends here in Jakarta and I’ve enjoyed every experience with them. I hope to meet many of you Couchsurfers during my travels to enrich my experience in Indonesia.
That should be enough for now... Talk to you soon =)
p.s. Martabak is deliciousssss!
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Szoboszupdate ;)
Great week =)
- Thursday was the Greenship NC (New Construction) launch. An exciting event with great lunch (especially the asparagus soup). Everyone had obviously worked very hard to get to this point, and that could be seen by the bloodshot eyes surrounding me. With a great turnout and a speech from Von Kok Leong - the Malaysian GBC president - it was definitely a success. Congratulations on all your hard work everyone!
- Thursday night we celebrated Michael's 25th birthday at our favourite spot in Kemang, called Bremer. A great turnout with all sorts of people we have met including some new faces from CouchSurfing! Thanks for coming out everyone.
- Friday was recovery time. Movies and sleep = awesome.
- Saturday Pak Tiyok was kind enough to pick us up and drive us around downtown Jakarta. We walked around Monas, took a tour of the large mosque called Masjid Istiqlal and the catholic church Kathedral. He took us to his childhood ice cream store near the presidential palace called Ragusa where we had a banana split followed by satee (chicken grilled on a skewer with peanut sauce) and fish paste. Interesting combination.
- At night I went to Plaza Semangi to join a CouchSurfing gathering. The theme was Language Swap and it was nice to meet all kinds of new people and hear their stories.
- Sunday Laszlo was sick, once again :P All morning my stomach was burning from the previous night of Padang food. I was determined to get over it because it was an exciting day! I met up with Alfi at Kota where the old dutch city is located. We saw the Batavia festival (Batavia was the name of Jakarta during Dutch rule) and saw two museums. I had a crazy tour guide for one of them, who was really obsessed with thinking Toronto was a country, that I was a "diamond heart" and that Karma apparently works in my favour. It was interesting hearing his stories, but he was definitely a little crazy :P
- Alfi took me on a tour of the China town here in Jakarta... I really enjoyed seeing the traditional narrow streets where all the fruits and fish are sold and prepared. It felt like I was back in Hong Kong. She taught me about the red envelopes used in China and we also checked out the massive pirated DVD stores. I bought my sister a new camera charger. (Which later blew up in my room and electrocuted my arm pretty bad. Sorry Erika, you still don't have a charger.. haha)
- We then went to the Jakarta International Fair which was CRAZY busy. You know you are in Asia when you can barely move. It seemed like I was the only Bule so that felt a little funny too haha. It was a really neat event with lots of vendors and attractions. We had a great time there =)
- After getting Alfi home, I got pretty lost :P After finally finding Monas (National Monument) and taking a couple of pictures I got home in one piece =)
- Thursday was the Greenship NC (New Construction) launch. An exciting event with great lunch (especially the asparagus soup). Everyone had obviously worked very hard to get to this point, and that could be seen by the bloodshot eyes surrounding me. With a great turnout and a speech from Von Kok Leong - the Malaysian GBC president - it was definitely a success. Congratulations on all your hard work everyone!
- Thursday night we celebrated Michael's 25th birthday at our favourite spot in Kemang, called Bremer. A great turnout with all sorts of people we have met including some new faces from CouchSurfing! Thanks for coming out everyone.
- Friday was recovery time. Movies and sleep = awesome.
- Saturday Pak Tiyok was kind enough to pick us up and drive us around downtown Jakarta. We walked around Monas, took a tour of the large mosque called Masjid Istiqlal and the catholic church Kathedral. He took us to his childhood ice cream store near the presidential palace called Ragusa where we had a banana split followed by satee (chicken grilled on a skewer with peanut sauce) and fish paste. Interesting combination.
- At night I went to Plaza Semangi to join a CouchSurfing gathering. The theme was Language Swap and it was nice to meet all kinds of new people and hear their stories.
- Sunday Laszlo was sick, once again :P All morning my stomach was burning from the previous night of Padang food. I was determined to get over it because it was an exciting day! I met up with Alfi at Kota where the old dutch city is located. We saw the Batavia festival (Batavia was the name of Jakarta during Dutch rule) and saw two museums. I had a crazy tour guide for one of them, who was really obsessed with thinking Toronto was a country, that I was a "diamond heart" and that Karma apparently works in my favour. It was interesting hearing his stories, but he was definitely a little crazy :P
- Alfi took me on a tour of the China town here in Jakarta... I really enjoyed seeing the traditional narrow streets where all the fruits and fish are sold and prepared. It felt like I was back in Hong Kong. She taught me about the red envelopes used in China and we also checked out the massive pirated DVD stores. I bought my sister a new camera charger. (Which later blew up in my room and electrocuted my arm pretty bad. Sorry Erika, you still don't have a charger.. haha)
- We then went to the Jakarta International Fair which was CRAZY busy. You know you are in Asia when you can barely move. It seemed like I was the only Bule so that felt a little funny too haha. It was a really neat event with lots of vendors and attractions. We had a great time there =)
- After getting Alfi home, I got pretty lost :P After finally finding Monas (National Monument) and taking a couple of pictures I got home in one piece =)
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Sumatra Wedding
The story of the weekend:
One of our colleagues Dian invited us to her friend's wedding in Lampung, Sumatra. The sequence of events were as follows:
0700 Friday - wake up, go to work
1700 - leave work, eat food
1900 - throw a wild pool party at the apartment
2200 - get in car
0300 Saturday - hop on ferry to Sumatra Island
0500 - reach Lampung
0700 - reach hotel, ****SLEEP****
1000 - go to wedding
1300 - go shopping and hit up beach
1800 - get back on ferry
2000 - arrive on Java Island
2300 - arrive at home
So definitely a jam packed adventure. Some notes on the trip...
- The ferry didn't have many places to sit. People were sleeping all over the floor. Refer to pictures.
- The wedding was beautiful. I've obviously never seen something like it before, and the traditional dress was really great to see. We took pictures with the bride and groom and ate some great food. The bride was Dian's friend from college.
- The beach was relaxing, after a long trip with little sleep, it was nice to just relax in the water and swim around. Green coconuts and "Internet" (Indomie Telur Kornet, a delicious fried noodle meal with egg) were served under a bamboo beach shelter.
- One part of the beach was said to be cursed, as a lady had committed suicide off the rocks. The same stretch of beach is owned by the 4th richest business person in Indonesia, Bakrie, who owns a mining firm among others.
- Crispy chocolate covered bananas are the token oleh-oleh (gifts) of Lampung *yum!*
- On the ferry ride back, dolphins were riding off the ships momentum and jumping around in front of the ship. I've seen dolphins in Seaworld Orlando Florida before, but never in the wild, where they belong.
- Sleep is overrated.
Thanks Dian!
One of our colleagues Dian invited us to her friend's wedding in Lampung, Sumatra. The sequence of events were as follows:
0700 Friday - wake up, go to work
1700 - leave work, eat food
1900 - throw a wild pool party at the apartment
2200 - get in car
0300 Saturday - hop on ferry to Sumatra Island
0500 - reach Lampung
0700 - reach hotel, ****SLEEP****
1000 - go to wedding
1300 - go shopping and hit up beach
1800 - get back on ferry
2000 - arrive on Java Island
2300 - arrive at home
So definitely a jam packed adventure. Some notes on the trip...
- The ferry didn't have many places to sit. People were sleeping all over the floor. Refer to pictures.
- The wedding was beautiful. I've obviously never seen something like it before, and the traditional dress was really great to see. We took pictures with the bride and groom and ate some great food. The bride was Dian's friend from college.
- The beach was relaxing, after a long trip with little sleep, it was nice to just relax in the water and swim around. Green coconuts and "Internet" (Indomie Telur Kornet, a delicious fried noodle meal with egg) were served under a bamboo beach shelter.
- One part of the beach was said to be cursed, as a lady had committed suicide off the rocks. The same stretch of beach is owned by the 4th richest business person in Indonesia, Bakrie, who owns a mining firm among others.
- Crispy chocolate covered bananas are the token oleh-oleh (gifts) of Lampung *yum!*
- On the ferry ride back, dolphins were riding off the ships momentum and jumping around in front of the ship. I've seen dolphins in Seaworld Orlando Florida before, but never in the wild, where they belong.
- Sleep is overrated.
Thanks Dian!
Monday, June 14, 2010
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Monday, June 7, 2010
Top of the World
What a weekend!
Laszlo had another great adventure. On Friday morning we attended a provincial government meeting and after 2 hours of macet time, we finally got back to the office and were ready for our trip.
I think I’m going to write this one in point form as well, since there is so much to say.
- Our first destination was Ibu Naning’s mountain side villa. With a much cooler climate, and a breathtaking view it was probably the most relaxed I’ve felt in Indonesia.
- In the morning we hiked up a mountain to a tea plantation. A combination of the cool breeze, morning sun and crisp air really makes you think you’re in a different world compared to Jakarta. The local tea pickers were fascinated by my blinding pale skin and were excited to answer some of my questions.
- I visited a rice plantation and also saw gigantic spiders.
- People can destroy entire mountains. On the way to our next destination we drove through a town surrounding a mountain. Over the years the town’s economy has been driven by mining the mountain. They use the stone for marble. It was a horrifying sight, the mountain was literally stripped. The magnitude of destruction was jaw dropping.
- We arrived in Bandung and I was pleased to see a clean city, with a cool climate and great streetscapes. Labelled as “Paris van Java” it is known for its shopping and dining. Met up with some of Dee’s friends, learned the Sundanese pronunciation of ‘tviterr’ ‘paceboohk’ ‘yahoh’ ‘coppee’ and ‘faktury otlet’. We drove up to the peak of Bandung and had some drinks at a really swanky place with great music overlooking the city.
- Sunday morning Anggi, Dee, Michael and I climbed a mountain and felt boiling sulphurous water, and shopped on the edge of a volcano crater.
- We hit up the shopping scene once more and went out for more fancy meals and drinks. Life is good. (I’ll continue to say that...)
- Monday I had a meeting with the dean of the school of architecture at ITB. (One of the 3 most prestigious universities in Indonesia.) I asked about students’ awareness of sustainability and how it is incorporated into the curriculum. This was to commence research for one of my main projects for GBCI. Learned some interesting things, proposed a collaboration recommendation and received a great response.
- Saw a shirt that said “Vancouver – United States” which initiated a 30 minute conversation with the sales associates. Kinda broke my heart.
- Met with a professor at ITB and learned about some interesting research projects including passive shading technologies, hybrid ventilation systems and “rare earth material” voltage potential. I got along well with the professor and he showed me his lab, wind tunnel and building models. He also showed me his pending patent post-disaster modular design block for constructing durable buildings in a short period of time.
- Met with some students and asked them many of the same questions I presented to the dean and the professor for my research. They turned out to be really great people so we went out for lunch together.
- After one last shopping excursion and some decent Hungarian goulash and maple syrup pancakes it was time to return to Jakarta.
Laszlo had another great adventure. On Friday morning we attended a provincial government meeting and after 2 hours of macet time, we finally got back to the office and were ready for our trip.
I think I’m going to write this one in point form as well, since there is so much to say.
- Our first destination was Ibu Naning’s mountain side villa. With a much cooler climate, and a breathtaking view it was probably the most relaxed I’ve felt in Indonesia.
- In the morning we hiked up a mountain to a tea plantation. A combination of the cool breeze, morning sun and crisp air really makes you think you’re in a different world compared to Jakarta. The local tea pickers were fascinated by my blinding pale skin and were excited to answer some of my questions.
- I visited a rice plantation and also saw gigantic spiders.
- People can destroy entire mountains. On the way to our next destination we drove through a town surrounding a mountain. Over the years the town’s economy has been driven by mining the mountain. They use the stone for marble. It was a horrifying sight, the mountain was literally stripped. The magnitude of destruction was jaw dropping.
- We arrived in Bandung and I was pleased to see a clean city, with a cool climate and great streetscapes. Labelled as “Paris van Java” it is known for its shopping and dining. Met up with some of Dee’s friends, learned the Sundanese pronunciation of ‘tviterr’ ‘paceboohk’ ‘yahoh’ ‘coppee’ and ‘faktury otlet’. We drove up to the peak of Bandung and had some drinks at a really swanky place with great music overlooking the city.
- Sunday morning Anggi, Dee, Michael and I climbed a mountain and felt boiling sulphurous water, and shopped on the edge of a volcano crater.
- We hit up the shopping scene once more and went out for more fancy meals and drinks. Life is good. (I’ll continue to say that...)
- Monday I had a meeting with the dean of the school of architecture at ITB. (One of the 3 most prestigious universities in Indonesia.) I asked about students’ awareness of sustainability and how it is incorporated into the curriculum. This was to commence research for one of my main projects for GBCI. Learned some interesting things, proposed a collaboration recommendation and received a great response.
- Saw a shirt that said “Vancouver – United States” which initiated a 30 minute conversation with the sales associates. Kinda broke my heart.
- Met with a professor at ITB and learned about some interesting research projects including passive shading technologies, hybrid ventilation systems and “rare earth material” voltage potential. I got along well with the professor and he showed me his lab, wind tunnel and building models. He also showed me his pending patent post-disaster modular design block for constructing durable buildings in a short period of time.
- Met with some students and asked them many of the same questions I presented to the dean and the professor for my research. They turned out to be really great people so we went out for lunch together.
- After one last shopping excursion and some decent Hungarian goulash and maple syrup pancakes it was time to return to Jakarta.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Beach Reach
Life is good. I have moved in to the apartment and I’m really happy about it. It feels good to sleep in and not be woken up by Adzan (Islamic call to prayer) every morning at 4:30am. It’s also a good feeling to have air conditioning in my room. Just everything about the move is very convenient.
On Thursday I had a really awesome night. Went out with my friend Alfi and had dinner at a place called Sushi Tei. It was real good. And the floor was glass, I felt like I would fall through. Then we just hung out, and walked across one of the main streets here, which was terrifying. We walked to the statue in the middle of the street. Normally I don’t think the public is encouraged to walk all over the grass, and I made that assumption based on the 15 police men around me. Laszlo doesn’t normally understand boundaries. So we lay there on the grass for a long stretch of the night. The only person to approach us was a young girl selling flowers.
I got home at around 2am, and had to wake up at 4:30am as our friend Fajar was coming to pick us up and take us to a paradise beach. There is no reason for me to explain this trip bit by bit, since I’ve posted the pictures and pictures speak louder than words. General summary, it was amazing, we went swimming, snorkelling, went to an isolated island, drove to the southern side of Java, was soaked by the Indian Ocean crashing into high cliffs and then fought the waves of the ocean on a secluded beach. The villages are never ending, and the roads are terrifying. I am thankful that our 1989 Toyota Corolla made it through, even with a few hiccups along the way.
Anyways, just have a look at the pictures. This weekend I’m off to Bandung. We can chat when I’m back. Take care!
On Thursday I had a really awesome night. Went out with my friend Alfi and had dinner at a place called Sushi Tei. It was real good. And the floor was glass, I felt like I would fall through. Then we just hung out, and walked across one of the main streets here, which was terrifying. We walked to the statue in the middle of the street. Normally I don’t think the public is encouraged to walk all over the grass, and I made that assumption based on the 15 police men around me. Laszlo doesn’t normally understand boundaries. So we lay there on the grass for a long stretch of the night. The only person to approach us was a young girl selling flowers.
I got home at around 2am, and had to wake up at 4:30am as our friend Fajar was coming to pick us up and take us to a paradise beach. There is no reason for me to explain this trip bit by bit, since I’ve posted the pictures and pictures speak louder than words. General summary, it was amazing, we went swimming, snorkelling, went to an isolated island, drove to the southern side of Java, was soaked by the Indian Ocean crashing into high cliffs and then fought the waves of the ocean on a secluded beach. The villages are never ending, and the roads are terrifying. I am thankful that our 1989 Toyota Corolla made it through, even with a few hiccups along the way.
Anyways, just have a look at the pictures. This weekend I’m off to Bandung. We can chat when I’m back. Take care!
Thank You
Thank You. Sorry. Please. My pleasure.
Terima Kasih. Maaf. Tolong. Sama-Sama.
Terms I have come to know very well. Thats all this short entry is about.
I am overwhelmed at how polite Indonesians are.
They say sorry for everything!
I thought Canadians were too apologetic, I was wrong. Indonesians take it to a whole new level.
A good example.
Yesterday I was asked to help write a letter to the Malaysian Green Building Council. I used the same professional tone I would use in any letter I've written. Very direct, straightforward and to the point. The Indonesian approach is much different. It contains a lot more, I would appreciate if, thank you so much for, please if you could, I am grateful for, you are very kind to...etc.
Very different from most letters you'll come across in North American culture.
Thats all.
Terima Kasih. Maaf. Tolong. Sama-Sama.
Terms I have come to know very well. Thats all this short entry is about.
I am overwhelmed at how polite Indonesians are.
They say sorry for everything!
I thought Canadians were too apologetic, I was wrong. Indonesians take it to a whole new level.
A good example.
Yesterday I was asked to help write a letter to the Malaysian Green Building Council. I used the same professional tone I would use in any letter I've written. Very direct, straightforward and to the point. The Indonesian approach is much different. It contains a lot more, I would appreciate if, thank you so much for, please if you could, I am grateful for, you are very kind to...etc.
Very different from most letters you'll come across in North American culture.
Thats all.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Tanjung Lesung and Southern Java Trip
Amazing weekend. I'll share it with you through these pictures. [Click on photo to see album, incase you forgot ;)]
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Meat, Meetings and Me Things
I feel its probably time to write another blog. Much has happened since my last entry and I feel if I don't write it down soon, I will forget things. The introduction stage at the office has ended and now I have a general direction at the office. I am going to take part in the ongoing development process of Greenship - Indonesia's green building rating tool. The New Building rating is just about finished and will be launched on June 17th. I am really excited about the work I am doing. It feels good to apply what I've learned at school to the real world.
My efforts over the past week have gone towards completely understanding this rating tool, which I found out is difficult without first translating it from Indonesian to English. Google translator has proven to be one of my best friends and worst enemies. Its provided me with a very messy translation of the forms, so I have been cleaning the language up and making sure nothing is lost in translation. I have finished a series of forms that serve as a checklist for each section of Greenship: Appropriate Site Development, Energy Efficiency and Conservation, Water Conservation, Material Resources and Lifecycle, Indoor Air Health and Comfort and Building Environmental Management. These forms were needed to evaluate a new green building in the design stages by the Ministry of Public Works. This is one of the pilot projects I am focussing on. I will also be helping to develop a training program for Greenship AP certification and public awareness.
This week has so far been a series of meetings where I've felt completely lost. As part of the Ministry of Public works pilot project, I was given the chance to attend the formal discussion at the ministry, as well as a technical meeting with the contractors the day after (right now). In addition GBCI held its monthly networking event directly after the formal meeting yesterday. It was the launch of the first draft of the Existing Building rating tool. The reasons I said I was lost was because all 3 of these meetings were completely in Bahasa Indonesian. I did an excellent job of appearing to look engaged, but the reality was quite the opposite. The most engaging part of all these meetings has been the free food. The variety of meat and spices and vegetables is so different than home. Its unfortunate but the language barrier has kept me from really learning anything from these specific events.
Its a strange feeling to not know what's going on around you. The language and culture difference makes me feel a little out of place every now and then, but my co-workers always offer a good summary to me in English. The worst part is missing out on all the jokes. While everyone is on the floor laughing, I'm usually just standing and staring in a dazed state of confusion. To be honest though, sometimes I laugh along thinking about how lost I must look.
Now onto the non-work life here in Indonesia, which is equally just as different and amazing. We've already had some great nights here and made friends. Be it going to the bars in Kemang district or meeting up with CouchSurfers, its been a great time. The people at the office have also been great to hang out with. Recently we went to a place called Tartine and saw a local band play some solid covers. Last weekend Ibu Rini had a presentation in Cirebon and invited us to accompany her. We stayed in a very nice hotel, enjoyed hot spring water massages and went out for lunch together. We also had a chance to see how the traditional Indonesian clothing (Batik) is made. I was thoroughly impressed and therefore bought my very own. Now not only do I fit into the culture more here in Indonesia, but I also get to stand out in Toronto!
This food here is Enak! (Delicious) However, it can also be dangerous for a foreign stomach! Michael was hit by what they think was E-coli and was in the hospital for 3 days. I had small stomach problems on the weekend and this has really made us be more careful with what we try. (Although I still am a little bit careless). I am very proud to announce that yesterday I made my very first meal here in Indonesia. It was all vegetables and nothing fried, so it was a good healthy change from the usual meals.
On the weekend after I felt a little better I decided to go on a Laszlo adventure. I tend to do the same thing at home so it was time to do so in Jakarta. I hopped on a taxi, got to the transjakarta busway and navigated it all the way through the city to the beach. It's a really nice place and a good escape from the traffic and noise of the city. There is a theme park, concert venues, restaurants and sailing boats lining the entire stretch. Successful adventure.
The last exciting point is that we have scoped out a really nice apartment for the remainder of our stay here in Jakarta. Its in a perfect location, close to the office, food and busway. With a rooftop oasis included, you can't go wrong. We move in Sunday night. I'll post some pics next week once I've moved in.
I'll stop myself here. This blog is long enough! I'll continue in my next entry =)
My efforts over the past week have gone towards completely understanding this rating tool, which I found out is difficult without first translating it from Indonesian to English. Google translator has proven to be one of my best friends and worst enemies. Its provided me with a very messy translation of the forms, so I have been cleaning the language up and making sure nothing is lost in translation. I have finished a series of forms that serve as a checklist for each section of Greenship: Appropriate Site Development, Energy Efficiency and Conservation, Water Conservation, Material Resources and Lifecycle, Indoor Air Health and Comfort and Building Environmental Management. These forms were needed to evaluate a new green building in the design stages by the Ministry of Public Works. This is one of the pilot projects I am focussing on. I will also be helping to develop a training program for Greenship AP certification and public awareness.
This week has so far been a series of meetings where I've felt completely lost. As part of the Ministry of Public works pilot project, I was given the chance to attend the formal discussion at the ministry, as well as a technical meeting with the contractors the day after (right now). In addition GBCI held its monthly networking event directly after the formal meeting yesterday. It was the launch of the first draft of the Existing Building rating tool. The reasons I said I was lost was because all 3 of these meetings were completely in Bahasa Indonesian. I did an excellent job of appearing to look engaged, but the reality was quite the opposite. The most engaging part of all these meetings has been the free food. The variety of meat and spices and vegetables is so different than home. Its unfortunate but the language barrier has kept me from really learning anything from these specific events.
Its a strange feeling to not know what's going on around you. The language and culture difference makes me feel a little out of place every now and then, but my co-workers always offer a good summary to me in English. The worst part is missing out on all the jokes. While everyone is on the floor laughing, I'm usually just standing and staring in a dazed state of confusion. To be honest though, sometimes I laugh along thinking about how lost I must look.
Now onto the non-work life here in Indonesia, which is equally just as different and amazing. We've already had some great nights here and made friends. Be it going to the bars in Kemang district or meeting up with CouchSurfers, its been a great time. The people at the office have also been great to hang out with. Recently we went to a place called Tartine and saw a local band play some solid covers. Last weekend Ibu Rini had a presentation in Cirebon and invited us to accompany her. We stayed in a very nice hotel, enjoyed hot spring water massages and went out for lunch together. We also had a chance to see how the traditional Indonesian clothing (Batik) is made. I was thoroughly impressed and therefore bought my very own. Now not only do I fit into the culture more here in Indonesia, but I also get to stand out in Toronto!
This food here is Enak! (Delicious) However, it can also be dangerous for a foreign stomach! Michael was hit by what they think was E-coli and was in the hospital for 3 days. I had small stomach problems on the weekend and this has really made us be more careful with what we try. (Although I still am a little bit careless). I am very proud to announce that yesterday I made my very first meal here in Indonesia. It was all vegetables and nothing fried, so it was a good healthy change from the usual meals.
On the weekend after I felt a little better I decided to go on a Laszlo adventure. I tend to do the same thing at home so it was time to do so in Jakarta. I hopped on a taxi, got to the transjakarta busway and navigated it all the way through the city to the beach. It's a really nice place and a good escape from the traffic and noise of the city. There is a theme park, concert venues, restaurants and sailing boats lining the entire stretch. Successful adventure.
The last exciting point is that we have scoped out a really nice apartment for the remainder of our stay here in Jakarta. Its in a perfect location, close to the office, food and busway. With a rooftop oasis included, you can't go wrong. We move in Sunday night. I'll post some pics next week once I've moved in.
I'll stop myself here. This blog is long enough! I'll continue in my next entry =)
Monday, May 17, 2010
PHOTOS: Hong Kong
All photos I take will be uploaded to this Picasa website. Click on the photo below to link to my albums.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
First Entry from Jakarta
I've arrived! I already have a lot to say so I think the best way to do it would be in point form:
- The plane ride was long and painful. 15 hours from Toronto to Hong Kong, 20 hours in Hong Kong and 5 hours from Hong Kong to Jakarta. I loved watching the landing and take-offs each time, and during many periods of the flight I could see out the window. One amazing thing was seeing the North pole.
- The great thing about the 20 hour delay in Hong Kong was the fact that I had a chance to go downtown and see the city. One main problem was the lack of sleep, but I managed to keep myself awake for 2 days straight and enjoy the sights of Hong Kong for myself. At this point in time I've decided posting pictures in the body of the blog text is a pain, so instead, I'm going to post a link to the Picasa website I'll store all the photos. Hong Kong was a beautiful, very lively city, with amazing public parks and a really cool free zoo filled with monkeys (I love monkeys). I had a chance to climb to the summit of the city (the entire city is built on mountains) and see the city from the top. I took the Peak Tram back down and made my way back to the aiport. A very good in between sightseeing opportunity I must say.
- So I finally got to the airport and took a few hours nap in the terminal before the flight. I had crazy blisters on my feet from hiking in Hong Kong's humidity in flip flops, so walking around the terminal was a challenge. I was trying to find Michael, because I was under the impression we had the same flight. CX777 at 9:20 am. When it came time to board the plane I asked them to make announcements to find him but I had to finally give up and board the plane to Jakarta without him.
- 6 hours later I arrived in Jakarta, and it turns out Michael had already arrived the day before. I finally had the chance to meet Yulis and she drove me to the house of Ibu Naning where I am still staying. ( A mansion )
- The first day at work was great. I got a chance to meet everyone here and I have to say they are very friendly. I have never felt so welcome in my life before and I can already tell this is going to be an amazing 3 months of work.
- The second day we attended the Austrian Embassy's groundbreaking ceremony for their new embassy building. It was very formal and a great networking experience. I met with people from the Austrian Embassy, Hungarian embassy, the UNDP including representatives from the 6 major religions here in Jakarta. It was really nice seeing the 6 religions come together and bless the building. I've never seen such co-operation between the religions before. It is to be the first green building in Jakarta, certified under LEED International and also the first green building of any Austrian embassy.
- The third day, coincidently we went to a webinar at the *Australian* embassy. Unfortunately the "machet" (traffic) was brutal and it took us over 2 hours to get there and we missed the majority of the webinar. It was however another eye opening experience.
-Last night was a public holiday. I asked to go to church with Pak Bintang (Mr. Star) and he treated us to a sightseeing tour around the city, welcomed us in his home, introduced his family and took us out to lunch and dinner. I am very grateful and still am not sure how to express this gratitude to everyone here for their hospitality and friendship.
Some key things I've come to experience here in Jakarta
- traffic is brutal (like reallllyyyy brutal)
- the people are amazing
- religion is the way of life
- malls are a way of life
- the food is amazing (but has some consequences for new arrivals)
- its hot
- mosquitoes love me
- I love my life
The end. (wow, way too long)
- The plane ride was long and painful. 15 hours from Toronto to Hong Kong, 20 hours in Hong Kong and 5 hours from Hong Kong to Jakarta. I loved watching the landing and take-offs each time, and during many periods of the flight I could see out the window. One amazing thing was seeing the North pole.
- The great thing about the 20 hour delay in Hong Kong was the fact that I had a chance to go downtown and see the city. One main problem was the lack of sleep, but I managed to keep myself awake for 2 days straight and enjoy the sights of Hong Kong for myself. At this point in time I've decided posting pictures in the body of the blog text is a pain, so instead, I'm going to post a link to the Picasa website I'll store all the photos. Hong Kong was a beautiful, very lively city, with amazing public parks and a really cool free zoo filled with monkeys (I love monkeys). I had a chance to climb to the summit of the city (the entire city is built on mountains) and see the city from the top. I took the Peak Tram back down and made my way back to the aiport. A very good in between sightseeing opportunity I must say.
- So I finally got to the airport and took a few hours nap in the terminal before the flight. I had crazy blisters on my feet from hiking in Hong Kong's humidity in flip flops, so walking around the terminal was a challenge. I was trying to find Michael, because I was under the impression we had the same flight. CX777 at 9:20 am. When it came time to board the plane I asked them to make announcements to find him but I had to finally give up and board the plane to Jakarta without him.
- 6 hours later I arrived in Jakarta, and it turns out Michael had already arrived the day before. I finally had the chance to meet Yulis and she drove me to the house of Ibu Naning where I am still staying. ( A mansion )
- The first day at work was great. I got a chance to meet everyone here and I have to say they are very friendly. I have never felt so welcome in my life before and I can already tell this is going to be an amazing 3 months of work.
- The second day we attended the Austrian Embassy's groundbreaking ceremony for their new embassy building. It was very formal and a great networking experience. I met with people from the Austrian Embassy, Hungarian embassy, the UNDP including representatives from the 6 major religions here in Jakarta. It was really nice seeing the 6 religions come together and bless the building. I've never seen such co-operation between the religions before. It is to be the first green building in Jakarta, certified under LEED International and also the first green building of any Austrian embassy.
- The third day, coincidently we went to a webinar at the *Australian* embassy. Unfortunately the "machet" (traffic) was brutal and it took us over 2 hours to get there and we missed the majority of the webinar. It was however another eye opening experience.
-Last night was a public holiday. I asked to go to church with Pak Bintang (Mr. Star) and he treated us to a sightseeing tour around the city, welcomed us in his home, introduced his family and took us out to lunch and dinner. I am very grateful and still am not sure how to express this gratitude to everyone here for their hospitality and friendship.
Some key things I've come to experience here in Jakarta
- traffic is brutal (like reallllyyyy brutal)
- the people are amazing
- religion is the way of life
- malls are a way of life
- the food is amazing (but has some consequences for new arrivals)
- its hot
- mosquitoes love me
- I love my life
The end. (wow, way too long)
Sunday, April 25, 2010
It's So Close
Wow. So here we are... end of April. This was the period I was worrying about, this was the part I knew would be hardest before I left. It's taken a lot of work already to get to this point, and it is definitely not over yet. Having just about finished off the last of my major assignments for school, I am now in the middle of exams. I wrote my first this last Friday and now I have one Monday, three Tuesday and two Thursday left. Now, the only trouble is that studying for exams is extremely difficult when you are this excited. I've managed to make sure I am medically prepared for the trip by getting stabbed in the arm with multiple vaccines and making sure I bring all the backup I can find in case I do get sick. The most complicated part of getting out of here has been getting my visa. I am happy to say I have officially been approved by the Directorate General of Immigration in Indonesia and therefore am ready to process the visa here in Canada. Through the help of a person I have not met yet, but have already developed a great respect for, Ms. Yulis, we were able to sort out all the paperwork. My sponsor Ms. Naning as well as others behind the scenes (who I have not spoken to directly but have seen their efforts through forwarded emails) have also helped me get to this point.
What's next? Well, I should probably be studying for my exams... but right now I'm actually looking up flight quotes. I'm just about ready to book my flight, and that will confirm the date of my departure. I'm hoping to book it this week, right after my Tuesday exams. I have to admit it has been a lot of hard work to balance school, work and preparations, however; I know it will be worth it. After several trips to my bank and Passport Canada, I have a new passport and a credit card. The stipend cheques are in, and I will pick mine up during my exit meeting with York. I'll probably schedule that right after I get the visa stamp from the Indonesian Embassy here in Toronto. Another great help has been the Indonesian people. Through the website www.CouchSurfing.com I have been welcomed by many friendly locals. They are willing to help me out upon my arrival and show me around Jakarta. It really is a great place to sign on to if you are interested in travelling, and I thank Michael (my fellow intern) for showing me it.
It's 3:30am so I should probably head to bed. I've left myself a fair bit of History of Warfare readings to catch up on tomorrow, so I could use the rest. I'll update you at the end of the week once exams are done, flights are booked and Laszlo is ready.
**Oh, and in case you were wondering about the name of my blog, himynameislaszlo, it's because my favourite band member, Mark Hoppus has a famous blog at www.himynameismark.com so I copied him.**
Selamat Tidur!
What's next? Well, I should probably be studying for my exams... but right now I'm actually looking up flight quotes. I'm just about ready to book my flight, and that will confirm the date of my departure. I'm hoping to book it this week, right after my Tuesday exams. I have to admit it has been a lot of hard work to balance school, work and preparations, however; I know it will be worth it. After several trips to my bank and Passport Canada, I have a new passport and a credit card. The stipend cheques are in, and I will pick mine up during my exit meeting with York. I'll probably schedule that right after I get the visa stamp from the Indonesian Embassy here in Toronto. Another great help has been the Indonesian people. Through the website www.CouchSurfing.com I have been welcomed by many friendly locals. They are willing to help me out upon my arrival and show me around Jakarta. It really is a great place to sign on to if you are interested in travelling, and I thank Michael (my fellow intern) for showing me it.
It's 3:30am so I should probably head to bed. I've left myself a fair bit of History of Warfare readings to catch up on tomorrow, so I could use the rest. I'll update you at the end of the week once exams are done, flights are booked and Laszlo is ready.
**Oh, and in case you were wondering about the name of my blog, himynameislaszlo, it's because my favourite band member, Mark Hoppus has a famous blog at www.himynameismark.com so I copied him.**
Selamat Tidur!
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Stoked?
Ofcourse! Hi, this is my first blog entry. I'm Laszlo and I will be travelling to Jakarta to work with the Green Building Council of Indonesia from May through till the end of July. Thanks to the World Green Building Council, a wonderful university called York, and some wonderful members of its International department, I will have one of the biggest adventures of my life.
So that's what this is going to be, a place to post and share my experiences and thoughts. There will definitely be an influx of pictures to come, because I'm obsessed with taking my little digital camera everywhere I go.
Through this blog I am inviting you all to come on this exciting internship with me! For now, I will have to prepare. Luckily, I have you all as travel mates to help out, including my Jakarta green partner Michael. I feel as if the internship has already started as this is already all so exciting.
I'll catch you later!
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