Banjarmasin

Today is the 3rd day I am in Banjarmasin. I am surviving!

I spent almost 12 hours to traveled from Kuala Lumpur to Banjarmasin. 2 hours advance checked-in, 2 hours flight to Jakarta, 4 hours transit, 2 hours flight to Banjarmasin. The first impression about Indonesia was --> horrible! First the pilot from Garuda Indonesia Airlines to flew to Banjarmasin was GREAT! Never been taken any flight which let me experienced the sudden break "ziiiiiiiiiiiii......" and almost run out from the run way. 2nd when i arrived in the airport, everything was what i expected, small and old as in any domestic airports in any country. But the problem was, i couldn't get the luggage trolley yet there were plenty of trolley available. The person said it was reserved. I have to go out from the luggage room (which mean checked out from the "counter", but there is no custom counter) and then get the trolley and get in back again to pick up my luggages. It should be alright since the security said i am allowed to go back in to pick up my luggage, BUT.. i have no way to get out from the room at all. It was full (when i said full, you can imagine a full crowd, what we have a quote in chinese "people mountain people sea") of people whom came to pick up their friends or relatives i assumed. Thank God i had a lovely man waiting for me outside and managed to SQUEEZED to passed my handbag and lab-top to him and then get back to the room to pick up my luggage with my bare hands!

The rest of it was all back to normal as one of our driver - Andrea was waiting outside and greeted me with a very friendly smile and that cool me down with everything and finally Banjarmasin wasn't that bad.

Here comes to my few days life in here. It isn't that bad, just like Philippine or Thailand like that. Managed to look at my future house - Citra Garden, when i was on my way back to hotel.

According to them, that is the bestest and nicest residential area in here. It is indeed very nice. Too bad still need a few days more to let the owner to get the house ready, still half the garden not clean and planted yet; water heater not installed yet although all the heaters are already there; house not cleaned yet; and the rest are all ready for us to move in. Now i am still living in the hotel here and the hotel is very great. People here are very friendly and the best thing is, unlimited free internet access everywhere in the hotel! Met a few of Jan's colleagues in the hotel in the past 2 days (all his company's staffs are living in this hotel permanently). Staffs from Malaysia (Yes, very happy that there are 2 Malaysians is working in this project), Canada, Indonesia itself, Nepal, Holland. Think that actually gives me a more homey feeling. I am just not alone with my hubby but there are a lot more "family members" in here. So we can full use of the garden in the new house for all the BBQ and party with them.
Now, today is the first day i am alone in this city and hubby is working. Very busy day for him as machines should be arrived and release by custom today, many new crews arrived to be briefed. But i know i can handle all by myself. Yesterday went to the biggest mall in here - Duta Mall to survey the place. Not too bad though (of course can never compare with KL, but good enough to survive) And the impressed thing in the mall was, there have 21 cinemas in it, a lot more than in KL. Bought a dvd player back to hotel so i can watch all the DVDs i "imported" in to spend my time in hotel when hubby working. Think can only have a proper life when the house is ready to move it. Believe by the time i will be busy for some days for the house. All the cleaning, setting, buying for the new house. Can't wait for it.


Will update more about the life here through this lovely invention - Blog!

Indonesia VS Malaysia

Time to go to Indonesia is getting nearer. After back from holiday with mum, only 3 days left to prepare and time to leave finally. House in Indonesia is up for him to make final decision to choose it and ticket is confirmed. Feeling is complicated. Very exciting and very nervous indeed. Been doing a lot of research about Indonesia and of course as well as Banjarmasin ( the city where i going to move to). Maybe Banjarmasin just a small city, so can hardly get any information about it and up till this moment i still have very little knowledge and idea about this city where i going to stay. When he was there, he told me i can survive in the city (as i am a total city girl who born and grown up in a country's capital). Anyway, compared with the first time i got the news from him that we might need to go to Banjarmasin, i am getting used to the idea and sort of accepting it and looking forward to it now.

The first reaction when i got the news, i got totally went off with the idea I GOTTA STAY IN SUCH A RURAL PLACE! What is the place named??? I never heard of it in my past 20+ years. I only know Borneo and sort of know Kalimantan. But what is it about Kalimantan? Well, all i know about Indonesia was what.. Jakarta! And of course all my house maids are from Indonesia. That's all. I have to stay there in a few months and i don't know!

After clearing out myself, and accept the fact and i started looking forward to start my adventure life. I don't know how well i can cope with it. But i know i will give the fullest to enjoy and explore it. Of course besides excitement, there are plenty of worries now. Language always the main issue. Yes, i am Malaysian, i speak Bahasa. But the thing is, for all my Indonesian research, i aware Bahasa Indonesian and Bahasa Malaysian is a lot different. For my past 12 years learning Bahasa Malaysian, i can barely understand what is written in most of the article. Maybe like a statement of 10 words out of 50 words. Luckily came to one site to try to find out the difference between it, it mentions :

Indonesian is virtually the same language as Malay, the latter spoken in Malaysia. The principal difference was in the spelling up until 1972 when the spelling was made the same. The Indonesian system having been developed by the Dutch, the Malay by the British. Thus the Indonesian j is y in Malay (e.g., kaju—wood, Malay: kayu); Indonesian dj is j in Malay (gadjah—elephant, Malay: gajali); Indonesian tj is ch in Malay (kutjing—cat, Malay: kuching); and Indonesian sj is sh in Malay (sjarat—condition, Malay: sharat). The Indonesian plural, like the Malay, is formed by merely repeating the word, as in angan-angan in the poem below, which means "fantasies."

Now i know why i can hardly understand, not because i never pay full attention in Malay class during school time nor i am just too stupid. But because of the DUTCH! After all, it is just not that difficult. Thank God i understand dutch now, but still it is weird though. The combination of Malaysian and Dutch language. Well, interesting!

After the worry of language solved, the next will be spending my 4 hours transit time in Jakarta airport to Banjarmasin. Was trying to search (again!) information about Jakarta Indonesia airport, unfortunately i couldn't get any at all. All i can found is the terminal 1 and terminal 2. Thank god i am flying with Garuda to Banjarmasin, so that mean i will depart from Terminal 2 without transferring to Terminal 1. And with the idea of Terminal 2 is for international flight, i assumed the facilities will be much better and won't be too bad. Imagine, 4 hours!!!! Let's cross your fingers for me please!

About the rest like what can i do, what work i can look for, how is the house like, how is the people like and etc. Think that is not beyond of my area of worry now. So will just save it until i was there. Have to stay wrinkle-free to look young and pretty! Else later hubby complains!