A Glimpse of Jakarta
A month ago I had my first business trip abroad. I was sent to Jakarta to assist in the holding of the board of directors' meeting of our Indonesian subsidiary. Naturally, I was so excited about the trip for many reasons. It was my first time in Jakarta andit is via the famed Singapore Airlines or SQ with a stopover at Singapore at that which means I can spend a few hours there to visit a friend, and it was all expenses paid. Jakarta would be just my the third overseas destination - yes, another stamp to add to my passport.
Day One - I woke up at 4:00 am, because I had to be at the airport by 5:30 am. I weighed my bags the night before and it weighed in excess of 20 kilos. Naturally, I panicked! Mon, my companion for the flight (who I haven't personally met) said he'd be there at 6:30pm. I prayed for things to fall into place and luckily, I found myself standing in line in front of Mr. Cabredo, one of the directors who will be attending the meeting with us. He agreed to check in my luggage with his and as it turns out my baggage is not in excess of the load limit since what is weighed is just the luggage to be checked in. Hehehe. I totally forgot about that! Di naman kasi ako masyado excited. Hehehe.
Flight is at 8:20 am but the plane had to queue at the runaway so we were able to lift-off at 8:40. We arrived in Singapore at 11:40am, barely enough time to run from the arrival gate to the boarding gate of the flight to Jakarta which is located at the other end of the very long terminal. It was like scaling Megamall Building A to Building B twice over. Needless to say, I was thirsty and out of breath when we arrived at the Boarding Gate where I met the other directors, Mr. Alejo, Mr. Tempongko who with Mr. Cabredo looked happy and refreshed unlike me. In just a matter of seconds after arriving, the boarding gate opened and we bagan our flight to Jakarta. It was a short one hour flight. Still, yummy lunch with equally yummy dessert was served along with a selection of wines (I had red wine). So that was how I spent my entire flight to Jakarta - eating. :) I need not say that since seeing the individual monitors per seat and having had my breakfast, I was already an SQ fan.
Day One - I woke up at 4:00 am, because I had to be at the airport by 5:30 am. I weighed my bags the night before and it weighed in excess of 20 kilos. Naturally, I panicked! Mon, my companion for the flight (who I haven't personally met) said he'd be there at 6:30pm. I prayed for things to fall into place and luckily, I found myself standing in line in front of Mr. Cabredo, one of the directors who will be attending the meeting with us. He agreed to check in my luggage with his and as it turns out my baggage is not in excess of the load limit since what is weighed is just the luggage to be checked in. Hehehe. I totally forgot about that! Di naman kasi ako masyado excited. Hehehe.
Flight is at 8:20 am but the plane had to queue at the runaway so we were able to lift-off at 8:40. We arrived in Singapore at 11:40am, barely enough time to run from the arrival gate to the boarding gate of the flight to Jakarta which is located at the other end of the very long terminal. It was like scaling Megamall Building A to Building B twice over. Needless to say, I was thirsty and out of breath when we arrived at the Boarding Gate where I met the other directors, Mr. Alejo, Mr. Tempongko who with Mr. Cabredo looked happy and refreshed unlike me. In just a matter of seconds after arriving, the boarding gate opened and we bagan our flight to Jakarta. It was a short one hour flight. Still, yummy lunch with equally yummy dessert was served along with a selection of wines (I had red wine). So that was how I spent my entire flight to Jakarta - eating. :) I need not say that since seeing the individual monitors per seat and having had my breakfast, I was already an SQ fan.
Oh, I also read the Strait Times (a major Singapore newspaper) and the Jakarta Post where I saw a notice that the auditing firm we were to appoint had changed its name. Shucks. That meant I'd have to revise the pre-prepared minutes of the meetings ready for signing, not to mention the script! Oh well, nothing can spoil my excitement nonetheless.
As soon as I stepped out of the departure area, I immediately perceived the uncanny similarity between Manila and Jakarta - is it the flourescent lighted airport, the courteous and smiling immigration officer at the checkout area, or the warm air pervading the building? My immediate impression was more than confirmed as we stepped out of the airport - even the vehicles and familiar and I could see that I couldn't tell the Pinoys apart from the Indonesians! Indeed they looked like our long lost cousins.
After a hour hour ride, we arrived at the Mandarin Oriental Jakarta where we are to spend two nights. Since the others proceeded with their operations report meeting, I took the chance to rest and unpack my things. After their meeting, we had dinner at Pondok Laguna. On our way there, I noticed that the street lights are much like the ones seen along Roxas Boulevard. :)
All I can say is that everything we ordered at Pondok Laguna were delicious and HOT! This is certainly the place to go to sample real Indonesian food. We ordered the "Dancing Fish", an artistically fried Garupa which meat was as tasty as its artful presentation. Other cuisines, while lacking in art more than compensated for its taste. The fragrant, fresh smelling boiled rice, or what we in the Philippines called kanin was served in a banana leaf lined native basket. Fresh coconut juices are served in its half-opened nuts. I do not remember the names of the dishes, only the experience of feasting on it. I particularly like the mildly hot and sour vegetable soup, similar to sinigang and Thailand's Tom Yam. No pork dishes were served of course so naturally, the dishes were low on bad cholesterol. Neither were beef dishes served but just the same, our group went home satisfied and very full. Pondok Laguna is one place I can confidently recommend as a must visit if you want to gastronomically experience Jakarta. If you think I can't run out of things similar between Manila and Jakarta - think again. Look at the picture which I took from the 19th floor of the hotel - traffic!
Day Two is meeting day. Breakfast was a long one which essentially cut my time for shopping. Before long it was lunch time and so I ate. Food was also served during the meeting (which went well, thankfully!) but I didn't touch any. Dinner was at Xin Hua, a Chinese restaurant at Mandarin. Needless to say, the food was yummy! It was only after the dinner when I finally had the chance to see more of Jakarta.
Mon and Jay of our Indo sub took me on a tour or the Merdeka Suare. We passed by several government offices, the Presidential Palace (which has Mendiola-like cyclone wires), and the Catholic cathedral in front of the huge, multi story mosque (mashid ia the corect term actually). Our last stop is the Monument Nasional or Monas, an obelisk with a flame atop. The golden flame on top the Monas is made of real gold a gift from the former USSR to Sukarno which gift spurred negative sentiments toward him accusing him of being left-leaning. Sukarno was ousted from office soon via a coup led by Suharto.
Day Three was spent going to the airport en route to Singapore where I spent a copuple of hours having lunch with a friend. My trip to Jakarta literally offered me a mere glimspe of it. A week after my visit, Mt. Merapi erupted and a month later there was an earthquake at Yogyakarta. Still, I look forward to visiting Jakarta once more to see much more of it. Next time, I'll make sure to have no less than an adventure.
As soon as I stepped out of the departure area, I immediately perceived the uncanny similarity between Manila and Jakarta - is it the flourescent lighted airport, the courteous and smiling immigration officer at the checkout area, or the warm air pervading the building? My immediate impression was more than confirmed as we stepped out of the airport - even the vehicles and familiar and I could see that I couldn't tell the Pinoys apart from the Indonesians! Indeed they looked like our long lost cousins.
After a hour hour ride, we arrived at the Mandarin Oriental Jakarta where we are to spend two nights. Since the others proceeded with their operations report meeting, I took the chance to rest and unpack my things. After their meeting, we had dinner at Pondok Laguna. On our way there, I noticed that the street lights are much like the ones seen along Roxas Boulevard. :)
All I can say is that everything we ordered at Pondok Laguna were delicious and HOT! This is certainly the place to go to sample real Indonesian food. We ordered the "Dancing Fish", an artistically fried Garupa which meat was as tasty as its artful presentation. Other cuisines, while lacking in art more than compensated for its taste. The fragrant, fresh smelling boiled rice, or what we in the Philippines called kanin was served in a banana leaf lined native basket. Fresh coconut juices are served in its half-opened nuts. I do not remember the names of the dishes, only the experience of feasting on it. I particularly like the mildly hot and sour vegetable soup, similar to sinigang and Thailand's Tom Yam. No pork dishes were served of course so naturally, the dishes were low on bad cholesterol. Neither were beef dishes served but just the same, our group went home satisfied and very full. Pondok Laguna is one place I can confidently recommend as a must visit if you want to gastronomically experience Jakarta. If you think I can't run out of things similar between Manila and Jakarta - think again. Look at the picture which I took from the 19th floor of the hotel - traffic!
Day Two is meeting day. Breakfast was a long one which essentially cut my time for shopping. Before long it was lunch time and so I ate. Food was also served during the meeting (which went well, thankfully!) but I didn't touch any. Dinner was at Xin Hua, a Chinese restaurant at Mandarin. Needless to say, the food was yummy! It was only after the dinner when I finally had the chance to see more of Jakarta.
Mon and Jay of our Indo sub took me on a tour or the Merdeka Suare. We passed by several government offices, the Presidential Palace (which has Mendiola-like cyclone wires), and the Catholic cathedral in front of the huge, multi story mosque (mashid ia the corect term actually). Our last stop is the Monument Nasional or Monas, an obelisk with a flame atop. The golden flame on top the Monas is made of real gold a gift from the former USSR to Sukarno which gift spurred negative sentiments toward him accusing him of being left-leaning. Sukarno was ousted from office soon via a coup led by Suharto.
Day Three was spent going to the airport en route to Singapore where I spent a copuple of hours having lunch with a friend. My trip to Jakarta literally offered me a mere glimspe of it. A week after my visit, Mt. Merapi erupted and a month later there was an earthquake at Yogyakarta. Still, I look forward to visiting Jakarta once more to see much more of it. Next time, I'll make sure to have no less than an adventure.
posted by wernicke @ 2:20:00 PM
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