Koi Kemang

Berry smoothie at Koi...so nice on a hot Sunday morning.

Koi Galeri & Restoran
Jalan Kemang Raya No. 10A
Sabero House
Kemang
Jakarta Selatan

Rafting at Sukabumi

The husband is off to do some rafting with some workmates and here are some pictures...



One of the drivers came but did not join the rafting or did any driving. He hung out with the other drivers while the others had some water fun. The husband said that the driver was hanging by a tree and a durian fell on him...so they ate it...I guess he had the best day.

Completely unnecessary yet a necessity

I took a drive down Ciputat today hunting for some shops who can custom make wooden furniture but with no luck. I did however come across an antique store selling some old carved wooden boxes (I'm a sucker for boxes) and propped against the window I found this old desk and fell in love with it. It was used to store inks and old letters for letter-pressing newspapers and posters before digital printing took over. I'm not sure what I would use it for...or whether it is completely useful but I want it!
These drawers go all the way to the bottom

They look like this on the inside

The surface is on an angle

Orange is the new black

I saw this ankot on the street and I just had to take a picture of it! I didnt' want to just hop in and start going crazy with the camera in case the drive got mad and chased me away so I took a little ride and took some quick snaps without him noticing.

Rujak

I'm always a fan of anything with a bit of spice so "rujak" (a type of fruit salad with a spicy peanut and rock sugar dipping sauce) is on the top of my favourite Indonesian foods to eat. Unfortunately, eating it can be a bit like playing food Russian Roulette. If bought from the wrong vendour it can give you a major tummy ache on a good day (severe diarrhea on a bad day). I was at Foodmart today and came across it, it was selling for triple the price but at least I know it will not get me a stomach ache at the end of it...I hope.

Coquelicot Cipete

The husband found this restaurant when a colleague of his took him here for a quick bite. He thought I would like it so he took me here for a dinner date, and he was right! This cute, unassuming, cozy French bistro is so perfect for first dates because it is one of the few places here that is not so intimidating. The food is reasonably priced and so hearty. The only downside is that it is located on Jalan Puri Mutiara so expect to always be stuck in a traffic jam to get there no matter what time of day. They also don't have a BCA debit so we always end up paying with a credit card or cash.
(Sorry for the image quality, I forgot the camera so this was taken with my handy)

The husband ordered the salmon, and I, the roasted chicken (the best I have had so far in Jakarta and the second time I have ordered it)



Coquelicot - French bistro
Jalan Puri Mutiara Raya No. 3B
Jeruk Purut - Cipete 12140
Tel: 021 7663216
Closed on Mondays

An anniversary outing

As part of our Anniversary present, my parents arranged a private tour to the Indonesian Presidential Palace in Bogor. Unfortunately we cannot post many pictures from the tour, as cameras are forbidden but we had quite an insight into the guests who have come in and stayed here. I'm not such a history buff, not so good with dates and not big on events (even birthdays) but I like the personal stories on historical figures and times. The staff who accompanied us had many stories about Sukarno (Bung Karno), Indonesia's first president and his stories coincide with alot of the older people I've spoken to about him. It seems he was well loved and the only president Indonesians had who had a ton of charisma and love of art. The staff still speak of him with a softness in their voice and a pride which is quite rare to see nowadays.

We also saw the holiday home in Cipanas that included a private hot springs jacuzzi and a secret pathway through the jungle from the property to the mountains. Sukarno wanted the path to be hidden away in the woods so that he can take private walks on his own. It was believed that it would take two days and two nights to walk to the end of the path that meets the mountains.

Martabak 999

My parent's first night in Jakarta and they requested this for dinner. Martabak is a meat filled pastry dish that is then fried and eaten with a sort of chutney. It is a common Indonesian street food that was originated from India I believe. There is a sweet version but is so rich in fat, it will give you a heart murmur I think. The shop itself is quite small and only opens in the evening and late into the night. So the locals mostly pop in (mainly in their pijamas), get what they want and drive away again. This stall itself is quite popular with the locals in the area and they get quite large orders but the best thing is that they operate like a well oiled machinery that you don't really have to wait long for your order, and in Jakarta, that is a rare occurrence.

Three white ducks

On the way to the flower market I saw...

A visit to the hospital

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm slightly squeamish when it comes to seeing blood. So today's visit to the hospital to see a friend with typhoid was a slightly uncomfortable one. It didn't help my blood phobia as the drip taped on her arm kept on bleeding out as she was moving too much and kept on hitting her hand on her drip stand. She thought it was funny that I hate needles and blood and took this picture of her hand so I can have it on my handy. Not impressed!

Welcome 2011

A new year
New targets
New adventures
New challenges
and hopefully some surprises.

I have no expectations of 2011 (good or bad) which, to me, is always a good thing. I had no expectations of the last couple of years and it has gotten me; a move to Jakarta, meeting and marrying my husband and living the live in the tropics as (what the locals here call me..) a desperate housewife.

If in 2009 someone were to tell me that I would marry a German whilst having my sea-change in Jakarta I would tell them that they have gone slightly mental, but here we are. Lets gear up for 2011!