Live from Pontianak, Je is reporting his current state of mind.

Leaving Day

My Gooooood,...there were bombs in Jakarta? So sorry for the victim of the blasts. What makes those people not satisfied with just firecrackers, anw? Isn't it enough???

I got the phone call from my boss asking me where I was. I told her that I was in Rawamangun Bus Station waiting for my ride (I didn't tell her that I was smoking also. Hihihihi).

"Do you know that there were bombings in Jakarta?:

"Really."

"Yeah,...it caused the jam all over. I am caught in one now. How about you?"

"God sake,... I am in east! Everything is ok, here."

I was wrong!!! Dead wrong!!!

My flight was at 13.00 andtThe clock in the bus was already at 12.30 and I was still at Pluit. Panick attack? NO!!! Just worried if I missed the flight and had to spend extra money to get another ticket and,... I was right!

I arrived E-X-A-C-T-L-Y at 13.00 (my flight) right in the check n counter. Shooooooooooooot!!!

My Boss arrived later and both of us were running here and there to get another ticket. We got like 700.000 to spend for the flight to Pontianak in another 5 minute??? We were running towards the gate and wait for the bus whick took us around to Terminal 2. And when we were there, there was no more officers wandering around the area. Whe we found one,...we asked (pointing at a plane nearby): "Is this the plane to Pontianak?"

(Feel more like taking a mikrolet--Indonesian's traditional transportation--instead of a plane!!!)

He said yes and off we went to the stairs of the plane.

Is that all? Nooooooooooooooo!

Well,...at least we arrived at the Airport. I decided to smoke (after about 6 hours) to soothe myself. I got this nice object until suddenly a UFO contacting Houston saying: may day! may day! may day! and hit the end of my right eyebrow. It turned out that the UFO was a bee. I felt the heat around my head.

Did I see the light? Did I see the light? Was I going to die???

Naaaaaaaaaaaa!!!

I stayed alive for the presentation the next day. It was,...wow (in a sense that the participants were 99% very young to be a kindegarten and elementary teachers)! I had a great time, indeed. I am not sure about them. Hahahahahahahahaha.

Taking photographs time!!! I can only say that the city is indeed offering us with great buildings. I think that the architects were very serious in building the houses and other buildings. They are just...cool! But not until you see the garbage aroumd the docks! They were...wuih! Too bad. erally for a city with a lot of buildings to admire.

One of many attractions to this city would be the Viharas. I admire the red as they are being very consistent with their nature. The reds are very red. The branch manager there took us to this very vihara in north of the city. There we saw 18 chinese soldiers standing (well,..some are sitting) out so vividly and gracefully with certain poses. He explained that each of them have reached the highest level of Budha meditation. I saw one of them wearing his "buncit" belly and holding a "kendi"--Indonesian traditional bottle--of alcoholic drinks. Now we know where he got the "buncit". LOL. There was another soldier holding a metal axe and guess what,...I could see my very reflection on it. Boooooooooooy!!! The guards take good care of the statue, I believe. The thing that I regret the most is that there were no names let alone stories of the statues. I mean,...why didn't the local government do something about it? If you wana sell something, you gotta let people know the strengths of your product, right? If the government seriously want to make the vihara a tourism object, they should really seriously put a guide for the tourists to enjoy the magnificent history there.

Now, let's talk about the smoke. Indonesia has been reporting the forest fire in Pekanbaru. But how about in Pontianak? I felt like I was one of teh characters in THE MIST by Stephen King. The smoke was crazy there. The branch manager told me that there are so many private fire fighter companies and they usually arrive faster than the official fire fighters!!!

All in all, it was a really eye opener experience to be in Pontianak.

Ayway, I just found out that Lidah Buaya taste a bit bitter :)