Half a year in Bandung

Byebye

2008-10-05T16:09:00.000-07:00

Hallo, just in case somebody wouldn't get to know it through other ways, my stay in Bandung has happily finished. :)
Thanks for reading.
Martin

Sun and Fun

2008-04-14T09:07:00.000-07:00

Wow, it’s been a while I posted here something last time.)’_’(

There has been quite a lot going around, but I’ll post just that what I have pictures about. J

Already some 4 weeks ago, we went for my first time, by the see – to place called pulau seribu (thousand islands). It was amazing to see sea after more than two months I had already been here.

Even if had to really “suffer” to get there. J To save some rupiahs, we decided to take some kind of big fishing boat and to get there we had to wait in a really, really smelly harbor. Actually the harbor was even as smelly as we were not able to take a single picture there.. J

But it was worth, because than after a few hours of sharing boat with many local people and animals J, we got a really cool island, and than rented a boat and were just wandering around and enjoying different snorkeling places and islands… Woooooow, gorgeous…

This is how it looks when somebody goes to sleep too early. J

There was a side effect that even sunscreen with a factor 50 didn’t manage to keep me from being burnt totally on all my body. J But again it was worth. J

Than a couple of weeks after, I went to see another volcano, this one even still active. :) So quite popular is for example boiling an egg down there. Did you know that there are around 130 active volcanoes in Indonesia, far more than in Czech, right?

And also during the same day we went for the evening we went for a hot spa close by. It was really impressive - all the local people sitting there in rather dirty water, all of the girl wearing cloths instead of swimming dress and some even wearing veil (the Muslim cover of a head). That place had an atmosphere.

Last really interesting was wedding. It’s fun – here the groom and bride invite their friends and they invite their friends and even if friends of those friends come it’s okey. :-D So an average person if he or she is a wedding freak, than can go to almost one wedding every month. J Here are pictures of a typical Sundanees (West Java region) wedding. They have a lot of funky traditions - feeding the bride and groom by different family members or themselves, tearing a chicken to see who is gonna be more dominant or broom breaks an egg by stepping on it and than bride washes his feet. Soooo sweet. :-p

There was more, but I don’t want to post too long posts, so I’ll let you know later. ;)

Thanks for reading..

Martin

Jakarta & Jakarta...

2008-03-14T21:05:00.000-07:00

After a longer break again…

I don’t even know what I was doing but I didn’t find a time to drop a note here until now..

So already last time I promised writing about Jakarta, but after my first visit there I was fairly disappointed.. The only think we saw were shopping malls and clubs (of course it’s nice to go to clubs sometimes, but if you expect seeing a different city, only clubs would hardly satisfy your desire) J

But still we had a great host and with him, two other trainees and one more Jakarta girl was still nice to spend time with…

This is the only interesting picture I have. :) Using this licence plate on your car, you don't have to pay for parking, can break rules in the roads and so on. Funny. :)

Fortunately some two weeks after I got an opportunity to go there again and see a bit more.. So this time we went with local AIESEC guys and some more trainees to a theme park Dufan, visited a few museums, went to the only think, which people call as attraction of Jakarta - park and observatory Monas..

(Effective marketers -using every single inch of their store)

(One of the service guys fell into the riverbed and they stopped the attraction and we had to walk up to get seated again)

It's so obvious who is gonna win, right? :)

You can guess what the thumb poked through in between the other fingers mean..
Of course the meaning is that we'll win every battle. :)

What else…

To get out of stereotype of my work I again with our marketing team to so promotions at a university fair at one local high school…

I offered to prepare the promotional session and having AIESEC in mind, I prepared something between presentation, one man show and brainwashing. :-D But yes, it brought some people which were interested. ;)

And finally I have just finished my teaching (of marketing) experience here in ICAT, gave a test to students, and kindly let most of them passed. J

I asked students for feedback and this is probably the best of them "The explanations are quite clear even if I don't really get it." :-D

And for the end one subjectively artistic picture. :)

Take care, enjoy and travel..
Martin

Keeping excitment...

2008-02-19T03:21:00.000-08:00

Back again. J

That’s fast – there is already one fifth of my stay behind me, so what’s new?

I have already had my welcome party (after about one month). Was very nice – we got to know the other trainees and a lot of AIESEC guys, who has just come and then went to have fun in a club.

Anyway generally, have to say, that the AIESEC guys here are very nice – all the time inviting us somewhere and trying to help with anything needed. (If you read this thank you. :/D) I am starting speaking a bit of Indonesian – having some random short conversations with random Indonesian people. :-D

I have missed the proper New Year here, but still experienced already 2 other. J First was right after I came around 10^th of January (Muslims’ New Year) and another one on around 10 February (Chinese one). (This is how the typical celebration of it looks like)

When I wrote that Europeans are popular here I didn’t even know what all was gonna happen. J

1) One of the Shopping malls invited us (me and other 2 guys from Europe) to be a “prize”. :-D They organized a think called “blind date” put a promotion into radio and around the shopping mall – offering a candle diner with one of the three “bule” guys. J It was fun, the only defect was that my blind date girl didn’t almost speak English. :)

(Don't laugh - I also didn't know what they were gonna write to the billboard, but at least you see, how they perceive us here.) ;)

And the other thing is, that I have been invited to be an “invited speaker” for some conference focused on increasing of quality of human resources, where they expect some 500 people… (It is not an AIESEC conference, but a real one. ;-) ) But looking forward – it’s taking place in central Java, so I’ll see some new places.. J

Last of trips I have done was with my colleague (you can guess which one it is ;-p) to Bandung ZOO.

It's been tiring.... :)

Since I haven’t posted anything about my boarding house yet, here are some pictures… The place is really nice – even it pampers us in some way – there is for example a maid, who washes the dishes and does laundry for us. J

/My tiny room, living room, house owner, and the hell equipment for showering. :) /

We have some more and some less beautiful animals in the house. J

Than this weekend I’ll hopefully go to see Jakarta, so next time I could post some pictures from there..

Last important thing – I have changed my phone (if someone cares. J). My new number is +6287821047568. I changed it because I was not able to send messages to Vodafone and Tmobile in Czech.. Now I can, but for a change – I can’t receive messages from O2. L This sucks. :-/ Anyway you can still write at least to my Czech number since I usually switch it on once in 2 days (or email).

Take care and write what’s new about you. ;)

Martin

(Eating sate from typical Indonesian plate - banana leaf)

Work & Travel :)

2008-02-03T17:44:00.000-08:00

Selamat Sore (Good afternoon),

Since there were couple of you who already started missing some new posts, here are the news. J

During the couple of weeks I am here for, I’ve seen an inactive volcano, adjoining lake and a waterfall. And moreover I keep experiencing how it is to be a “Bule” star. J I have already been asked maybe ten times. Last time today – a group of around 15 youngsters asked me to be on a picture with them, than started screaming and finally thanked so gratefully like if I saved so their lives. :-D

But beck to the trips… CIWIDEY (the place with inactive volcano and a lake on the boarders of Bandung) I went to the place already twice – first time with my colleagues to see only the volcano itself. Past volcano, but current sulfur lake…

Whenever you go somewhere with Indonesians, make sure that your camera batteries are full – these guys will never leave the place until 1000 pictures is taken. J

And second time with other trainees from Europe and some other friends. On this trip we also went to the lake in the same area, went to strawberry plantations and tea fields. We also stopped by for a lunch on a really nice place, got coconut milk served in coconut itself, but also roasted chicken also with its head and full legs. :-/

One more beautiful place you can visit on the suburb of the Bandung is waterfall in CIMAHI. Get to a place by motorbike or the “Angkot” (random public transportation), walk down for about 15 minutes and you are staying under the some 100 meters high waterfall. J

And if you want to try even more from Indonesian lifestyle – get there these “Rice bricks” with peanut dip. J

Last for today am going to share how my work is. Quite crazy: original position of international marketing has expanded to a marketing teacher as well. J So me, with my 4 years of university education am teaching 3^rd year university students marketing on one of the most expensive schools in Bandung. J The regular job description is good, but needs a big self control, because most of the tasks and deadlines are not given and I am supposed to create and organize them myself.

That’s it and I’ll post something again in some two weeks…

Enjoy!

Martin

Let's continue in English...

2008-01-17T05:13:00.000-08:00

Hey readers!

I just decided, to switch a language, because there are more of you who can't speak Czech, than those who can't read it in English... Hurray! :)

So what have I done in last days? I finally started doing my job in ICAT.

And started getting to know my colleagues and, and other new people.. There is something like 50 employees in the company - most of them teach, than there is a lot of marketing staff (like I am) :) As I already mentioned every day I go everyday to job by Angkot (local public transportation) I really love this - it stops whenever you wave, goes maybe every minute and is amazingly cheep (my trip costs $0,2). From work I have always (till now) gone with my colleague Heni on motorbike - I ride it in this random traffic (no speed limits, no defined rights of way at crossroads or cars respecting the lanes). But don't worry - even some 10 years (or I don't know) old kids ride these here. :-D

As mentioned I am doing international marketing - currently mostly learning about the product (Bachelor educational programs) and do what is need - I have held 2 classes to students or just today went to present ICAT to one high school with the rest of marketing team (bellow)..

And finally as I promised last time - how do local people see us Europeans? :)
If there is a white guy who is quite tall (is called "bule" - they consider us as kind of superstars. :) It so often happens, that you just or are somewhere and young girls around start calling you, yelling, being ashamed and hiding and so on.. It's fun.
Anyway generally everyone behaves really well and to "bule" people even twice - nothing to complain. :-D

ps: I am still waiting for the picture with celebrity, so I'll post it next time.. ;)

Take care and enjoy your climate here is some 27 Degrees. ;)

ps: some more Bundung pictures (I'd post some with the omnipresent mess too, but they don't look as good as others. :) )

Po prvních dnech..

2008-01-12T02:17:00.000-08:00

Chu, tak jsem tu s prvními zážitky z Indonésie. :)
Mám za sebou téměř ctyri dny a začínám si zvykat na to jak to tu chodí...

Je to docela sranda - bydlím v takovém "ubytovacím domě" s dvěma Holanďanama, jedním Švédem a bandou Indonésanů.. Každý má svůj pokoj a jinak je všechno společné... Největší zážitek tam jsou asi sprchy, protože tam se člověk akorát polévá studenou vodou, kterou nabírá z k tomu urcene casti koupelny. :)

Tohle jsou dva Indonezsti AIESECari a praktikant z Holandska
v jednom z tamnich nakupnich center

Tady jedna fotka mesta (Bandungu)

Dalsi takova dost divoka vec je mestska hromadna doprava. Zajistuji ji minibusy ( jako ten zeleny na obrazku nahore), ktere vzdy zastavi na mavnuti a na porkik "kiri, kiri" zase nechaji vystoupit... Plati se, podle dojmu, jak dlouho clovek jel a cena je od nejakych 2 do 5 korun za svezeni. :-D

No a tohle je muj dum. Eghm, tak ne...
Tohle je sidlo zastupitelstva zapadni casti ostrova (west Java), ale jinak moje ubytko je taky super - pokoj ma sice asi jen nejakych 8 metru ctverecnich, ale pak jsou tam velke spolecne prostory a vsichni jsou fakt pratelsti...

Priste vam poslu moji fotku s Indonezskou celebritou
a prozradim, jak se tady maji evropani. :)
Zatim
Martin