WEEKEND RUN AWAY

After working hard in a hectic city, unfriendly talking, bad behavior, traffic jam along with crazy motor bikers, crowded market places, pollution, flooding and disorder environment. Now the time to hang out with lovely families outside of the city. The distance depend on the wallet or the budget allocated beforehand.

One among the favorite to go is "Puncak" area, hinterland of Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia Republic, around 3 hours drive by private car or 3-4 hours by public Bus, air condition Bus to the East.

Puncak administered under West Java province. The 1st hour drive through toll road until Bogor town, the traffic flow run fast 100km per hour or more.  Exit from the toll road gate, the car run slow some time bumper to bumper especially on weekend, begin since Friday evening.

On Saturday police manage the flow by "shut open system" by stop the flow to the East and the the 2 lines road only for flow to the West. After a certain time, the flow reverse and give away to the East flow. After weekend time almost over, on Sunday afternoon, the time to go home to the Capital, to the West, the shut open set again.

One kilometer from the toll road gate exit, a lots of villas in both sides of the road along with restaurants. In Dutch era, the Villas end up in the top of the hill called "Puncak", mean Top hill. When the economic booming up until year 1998, developers compete to build the new villas in the real estate compound fenced apart from local people. At the that period, costumers also in line to apply for a loan to buy villa, which the price tend to drop down.

Actually best alternative of run away  places to go nearer from Jakarta is Bogor town area, just an hours drive or more from the capital to the East. Even not to far away from the beach of Jakarta, Bogor climate always cool, since the town located in the valley surrounding by the mountains. That way why Dutch Goverment build a palace in the one compound with wide Garden of forest and flower in the middle of the town.This town relatively big and lots of shopping malls, entertainment and the Hotels range from moderate to stars hotel.

                                        Ancol beach, Jakarta

The interesting to try is driving air condition commuter train from Jakarta to Bogor, a convenient train for tourists on weekend for an hour drive just for Rp. 7.000 or less than US$ 1 one way. Step down from the train and try drive a cart pull by the horse to the Hotel not to far away.

Once in May 29, 2012 I try drive air condition public Bus from central Bus in Puloadung, East Jakarta just for Rp. 11.500 equivalent of $ 1,5. The Bus was convenience, occupy by 40 passengers only for maximum 60. Off course most passengers are Bogor citizen with their local Sunda language, a soft spoken local dialect

                                        Cipanas Villa, West Java

By design I took another Bus to the next town Cianjur on my destination to Puncak where my Villa located, not far from Goverment Cipanas palace . The ticket just Rp. 10.000 for 45 minutes drive from Bogor by a smaller public air condition Bus.

On the way, I paid attention to several Buses pass away, gave me another ideas the destinations of the Buses as the good destinations to try for weekend run away, not too far away from the Capital Jakarta to the West such as Pelabuhan Ratu town, to the well known beach in the South of West Java. And many towns close by like Tasikmalaya and Garut towns in the Eastern part of West Java.

                                          Gate to Kebon Raya, Bogor

Spend the weekend run away not necessarily in luxurious mode, a stars Hotel or going by plane or by rent a car or going far away. Just try budget way, 1,- 2 hours drive distance, drive public transportation, talk to local people, taste their foods, hear the local traditional songs/music/dance, you would experiences new atmosphere a tale to tell.

FAR AWAY

FaR AwaY

at dawn i rush to catch an iron bird
fly far away to the east sky
she hug the pillow when i was away
hoping the phone ring every day

the time goes by
no more duty far away
no more iron bird to say good bye
a pillow the one who close by
you are near but so far away

god let me come to stay
don't let me go even a single day
i am close to you
you never kick me away
i am far but you always lead my way

MERENDA AIR MATA IBU

MERENDA AIR MATA IBU

oleh Ezzyla Fi

Telah timbul urat-urat di tangan
namun jemari tiada letih menyulam
mengaitkan benang-benang waktu
untuk merenda setiap tetesan airmatamu
menjadikannya beludu

Sehelai kain putih dengan secabik motif abuabu
engkau memintaku membuat corak bianglala
dimana selama ini, duhai ibundaku
engkau hanya mampu merajut senyuman
dari gerimis yang merinai di matamu
selimuti kami dari dinginnya pengharapan:*

CINTAMU IBU
oleh Pinondang Situmeang

tangan tangan bergelantungan 
pengemudi tak peduli aturan
bau masam tempias dari kaus kaus kusam
bersenyawa dengan parfum rumahan Ibu tua

mobil mengkilat hanya sorangan
penuh tawa berhalo riang
rinai air mata ibu menerawang
anak diseberang lautan

tak ada sesal tak ada dendam
ibu ditakdir berkorban harta nyawa
cinta ibu sepanjang zaman
cinta anak sepanjang bayang bayang

TOUR de FLORES

There are few things I would like to leave with you if you want to do this ride. From Labuan Bajo to Larantuka via Trans Flores highway 724,1km. I was in the saddle for 39 hours 54 minutes and ascended 9.885 meters.
Each day take at least 3 litres of water and drink constantly. There are numerous little stalls to buy Aqua, but if you are running low, buy your Aqua at the next stall, do not wait until all your water is gone. The next stall could just be 30km away. You also need to take energy bars even if you are only riding 60 km. The stalls may have Aqua and hot bottles of Coke, Fanta and Sprite but they seldom have any energy food.

They do have biscuits and sometime packets of noodle. You can buy bananas from the locals. They come in all sizes and colors but they taste like bananas used to when I was a boy. They will have them hanging from something near the road. They sell them by the large hand, so if you only want a few, buy the whole lot and give the others to the kids. You can also buy pineapples but unless you get them to carve it up, they are not much use.

Travel from west to east, especially if you decide to go from Larantuka to Kupang West Timor. As the sun rises in the east, start early on most days so you maximize the amount of shade you encounter.
The roads are very good and you could in fact complete the ride on your carbon fiber road bike with skinny slicks. There is absolutely no reason to fit knobbly to a MTB - slicks will do fine.

If you like to take in the scenery, stop your bike, as you need to concentrate with the windy roads. The local bus and bemo drivers treat you with some respect and keep to their side of the road but beware of people driving cars or SUVs, as they really don't give a shit. They will be the ones that cut corners or who want to drive in the middle of the road.

Be brutal with the amount of gear you take as you have to drag it up nearly 10,000 meters.
Try to stay in the larger towns as you can get better meals and other goodies like Pocari Sweat and Potato chips. Even though Labuan Bajo to Ruteng was very hard, it was still better than staying at Lembor for the night. Unless you are very fit, do not try to make it from Ruteng to Bajawa in one day, as the last 39 km is mostly uphill when you are low on energy. It would be a challenging ride without carrying any gear.
If you get stuck and need a ride, don't panic, as there are passing bemos, cars and buses that will give you a lift, even if you have to pay for it.
Above all just relax and enjoy the ride; it may be the best ride you ever have.

                                         Smooth road

Derek Nicholson

---

NETWORKS

                                        Bank BRI Building, Jakarta, Indonesia

Keep maintenance of your old networks or build the new  one will guarantee the success to run the business because between the networks have interrelated to other networks, just like web interrelated to every direction. Every member has their own capabilities and if collaborated and organized well, surely will created a wide sources.

"We are in the same floor", said Wulandari, Deputy GM Bank BRI Jakarta Friday morning. 15 years ago she was a new staff in Retail Banking Department, who located in 10th floor too next door to my Dept, Business Unit Dept.
This time I came to meet her team as a guest with my partner, Adi Gerimu who offer them cooperation in getting new costumers.

When the meeting begin, I didn't knew her at all after my retirement 15 years ago. In order to meet her, I asked an old friend of mine, just retired from Bank BRI, Mr.Yoze Rizal, recently worked in Cooperative body. He arranged our schedule easily, compare if we didn't know one in the Department 

After the meeting with Wulandari is over and meeting after meeting seated in Starbuck in the same building with Mr.Adi, I called a Bank BRI branch manager far away in the East part of Indonesia. I didn't know him, but as I told that I was Bank BRI retirement from the area, with politely he promised to help me to find out a Travel agent in his area to cooperated with my group

One semester before, in December 2011 the same happened, I met my old network, Bank BCA Director, Mr.Suwignyo, my old collague in Bank BRI when we were in the same level as Deputy General Manager. He was managed Branch Office IT system and myself managed IT system in BRI Unit Sub Branches.

I discussed with Adi for some time in the coffee shop and I realized that Adi too made a lots of meeting with the new Networks in a week, at least 5 new friends, who inter related with other friends too, to be a new Networks as well.

Keep the old networks like the friends in your professions, communities, families member, school mates, spot club and many organization belong to you

What I want to pint point here is that keep maintenance well with the old networks and  never stop to expand the new one, while keep your reputable name is a vital tools in developing your business and run successfully