MADURA, Pulau Garam yang eksotis, tak kenal maka tak sayang.....

Sejak dibukanya Jembatan Suramadu, akses jalan dari dan ke Pulau Madura menjadi demikian mudahnya. Memang sejak dulu keinginan untuk menjelajah Pulau Karapan Sapi menjadi salah satu keinginan yang sudah dicatat dalam "wish list" sehingga ketika dua minggu yang lalu ada SMS yang mengajak untuk melihat dan mengunjungi Pulau Madura, ya langsung deh bersorak asyikkk...... mau dong. Dan Sabtu Minggu, 26-27 Nopember 2011 perjalanan menyusuri Pulau Madura akhirnya terlaksana.

Flight pagi tiket beubah jadi bisnis class.....hehehehe lumayan dan hebatnya ga delay. Rombongan terdiri dari 5 orang termasuk diriku dan satu anak manis yang anteng. Sampai di Juanda langsung menuju ke Suramadu setelah menurunkan penjemput yang di Surabaya. Gak lama kok perjalanan ke Suramadu, lebih kurang 30 menit. Dannnn Jembatan Suramadu is awasome. Keren banget yaaaa...*salut deh buat yang bikin. Sempet berhenti di tengah sebentar buat foto-foto (eh ini sebenernya ga boleh loh karena Jembatan Suramadu adalah jalan tol. Kebayang kalo bukan tol pasti banyak yang mejeng dan nongkrong di tengah Jembatan + makan dan nyemil dari pedagang rujak petis dan sate madura yaaaaaa.....).

Lama perjalanan melintasi Jembatan Suramadu ga lama, cuma 15 menitan....tau tau tradaaaa.....I was on MADURA.....kesan pertama kok sama kayak di jalan-jalan di Pulau Jawa yaaa...kebayangnya kan Pulau Madura itu kering, gersang, keras ternyata sama aja kok kayak kita di Pulau Jawa. Wilayah yang pertama kita masuki di Pulau ini adalah Bangkalan.

First destination: hunting batik madura. Warna-warni cerah khas batik Madura bikin kalap yang beli emang.....setelah menahan diri cuma dapat 8 potong batik, harga berkisar antara 60 ribu, 80 ribu, 100 ribu dan 150 ribu...... O ya yang pertama kita lakukan sesampainya di toko batik adalah mencoba kuliner Madura NASI SERPANG... kayak nasi bogana gitu yang special dari Madura. Isinya nasi putih pulen yang dimasak pake kayu (kok tau...ya nanya sih soalnya, rasanya beda buat yang biasa makan nasi ricecooker), lauknya ada dendeng kering, serundeng, separo telor asin, bihun goreng dan sambel ditambah krecek kuah dalam plastik yang ditambahkan saat mau dimakan serta rempeyek kacang. Rasanya....pas banget....(apa laper ya?) trus ada minuman yang namanya POKA wedang jahe ala Madura yang disajikan dalam cangkir model lama (sayang udah ga panas pas minumnya). Selesai makan langsung muter ngelilingin toko, foto-foto dan milih2. Kenapa disebut menahan diri? soalnya kan jalan-jalan kali ini dilakukan saat belom gajian, jadi ijon deh pake cc (qqqqq....) soalnya sebenernya naksir sarimbit, selendang dan kain yang warna nya kuning.......

Selesai dari toko batik di jalan RE Marthadinata Bangkalan, perjalanan menyusuri Pulau Madura dilanjutkan. Ternyata kita akan menuju Sumenep (hehehehe namanya juga diajak, jadi itenerary tergantung yang ajak yaaa). Dari Bangkalan kita melewati kota Sampang, Pamekasan baru deh nyampe di Sumenep. Pas nyampe Sumenep ternyata dah mendekati magrib, disuguhi makanan khas Madura lainnya (ooooo ternyata ini wisata kuliner....gawat deh bakalan naik berapa kilo yaaa ). Sate Lalat (sate ayam yang kecil-kecil sampai sampai disebut lalat), Rujak Sumenep (rujak bumbu petis yang khas Madura; pake kripik singkong dan rasanya pedes abis...) Es campur khas Madura (pake potongan roti tawar dan kacang hijau utuh rebus) serta Campur (lontong kuah khas madura yang rasa kacangnya terasa disuapan pertama...enaakkkkk) serta lain-lain snack yang cuma ada di Madura : marning jagung kacang, opak sukun, rengginang lorjuk dan tak ketinggalan buah Mangga Matang di puun yang banyaakkkk bangetttt. Tepar kekenyangan tahap pertama (hihihihihihii).

Ternyata perjalanan kita masih lanjut menuju Pelabuhan Kalianget, loh kok ke pelabuhan ya? ternyata kita akan menyebrang ke Pulau TALANGO, nyebrang dengan kapal penyembrangan yang ga lebih dari 5 menit.......lucu banget...(agak norak-norak dikit gitu deh pas nyebrang perahu. Saat itu malam 1 suro dan ternyata di Pulau ini ada maqom pengajar atau guru wali songo yang rame banget didatengin.

Sampe rumah mandi-mandi dan geletak....qqqqqq ga kerasa langsung tidur padahal belom ada jam 8 malem tuh...

Pagi hari selepas sholat subuh, langsung hunting sunrise dari dermaga depan rumah, ternyata matahari terbitnya di belakang rumah.....(harusnya pas sunset tuh dapet........hiksss ga sempet)....ditungguin sampe jam 6.30 juga belom naik tuh si matahari, ya udah deh tinggal mandi aja.....Tau-tau pas lagi ngadem di depan rumah ada cemilan pagi: sukun goreng yang dah tua sama perkedel singkong (singkong kukus yang dihaluskan trus digoreng) + makan mangga pagi-pagi ( dah curiga pasti ada makan pagi lainnya nihhhh...) taunya beneran ada makan pagi lagi sayur tumis bunga pepaya, sayur bening daun kelor dan lauk ikan yang melimpah: ikan kembung goreng, bawal asam manis, tuna bakar....(dan itu harus dihabisinnnnnnnn...qqqqqq).

Selesai sarapan, berangkat lagi kita jalan-jalan, ziarah ke maqom Asta Syaid Yusuf, makan cendol di rumah sebelah, trus nyobain kapal tongkang keliling pulau...... Selepas Pelabuhan Kalianget perjalanan dilanjutkan untuk mampir beli oleh-oleh khas Madura serta berfoto di Masjid Agung Sumenep (lucu banget deh, lihat fotonya aja...). Perjalanan dilanjutkan ke Api yang tak kunjung padam di daerah Pamekasan trus lanjut terus sampai Surabaya lagi.

Oooo musti balik lagi kayaknya ke Madura, banyak yang belum didatangi.....Makasih ibu atas undangannya.

Investment for personal

Lately, news about the rising price of Gold as a tool of investment are booming. And of course, my friends and I also infected by that virus too. After we bought one gram of Gold as a souvenir of closing arisan between us, each of Member of Twelve (MoT) actually has own ambition to own Gold (we call it in here LM) for their investments. But we already know how expensive the price while if we buy small one, it costs more.

A month ago after following his twitter, I interested to join AG program when we can buy 25 gr of LM by installment. It is very interesting program so I spread it to my close friend. After a while, I try to socialize to all MoT to try to get 25 gr by ourselves. Hopefully in the next year, we try to do our program. Thanks for AG to inspire us.

Go Gold....

Change is the one thing that never change

A week ago when We celebrated Eid Fitri, I saw a tagline on TV said that my office will be cut into two pieces. Fortunately, at the same time, I took a vacancy from my Blackberry Group so I cannot confirm my collegues about that info. A little bit but not sure answer came from my friend that remain me about the latest rumour that a different echelon one but still in the same ministry will take some of authorities to make regulation from my office to. Ok. I got it.

Today is the second day after Eid holiday, this issues became bigger. It looks like no concept yet about this but the Minister eager to do this. Kompas reported that this will happen in short time. Some friends already shared their thoughts.

Then, I am thinking now......so this is my path.. to be witness of change in my office. Accidently I got promoted two months ago to the place that, we are talking now, make the regulation. So, we will wait another month, source said in the last of this year, when it will happen.

I think it will be interesting............

Let's catch your dream....upgrade all the time

For me, learning and studying are hobbies that will last forever, never ending enjoyable activities......well, it's quite silly actually because some of my friends will make a comment like: "when you work...or you always study...". And I just smile on them.

Let me count, after I finished my highschool, I continued my study at State College of Accountancy (STAN) after took one year break(hehehe no uni accepted me). On the second grade, I got my status as government employee so since 1995 I was already civil servant. Graduated on 1996, I worked 2 years before I took my extention program at FEUI Depok, at the same time I applied Diploma IV at STAN so in 1991 to 2001 I went for FEUI Extention Program and Diploma IV to get my Bachelor Degree. Finished all the courses (hehehehe I cannot imagine that I passed all the courses both), I worked again for 5 years before someone slapt on my face to remain me that I should continue my degree (Lebay mode). So since 2004 I started to apply my master program. Two unies from two countries rejected me and my third application brought me to Oz from 2007 to 2008. So, in total of 15 years work exeperience (1995-2010), I spent 40% on study....we called it as formal study.

In my 60 % years of work, off course I had time to do internal course from my office, one day training, two days workshop, seminars, consenyering, internalisation, short course.....you named it and I can say that I am through all that kinds of stuffs (xixixixixi...). I called of that kinds of course as a upgrade time.

And talking about upgrading, this status always connected to me. My last short course was in South Korea from June 24 to July 9, 2010. Yes, you can say that I am lucky but actually it is not easy like that. There are so many preparation to do before I got a change to do the course. My basic tips to everyone is to have passion of study so you will aware and always prepare to take any change that available.

Last month when I got promotion, I thought it was my ending time of joining courses.....but I was wrong......For one month work, I already took three kinds of workshops.....pfuihhhh...I think I am overwhelm with courses...(Naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.....xixixixixixixi).

So, for all my friends......Let's cacth your dream by upgrading all the time.

A thought in the early morning

Well, actually nothing serious that I want to share with you in my writing this time. Last time I posted at this blog on March when I didn't do anything but now already August 2010, so many happens in the last five months.

The current change was I got my promotion...I am Head of Section now (yeeeyyyy), although only Head of Section in General Affairs but I am grateful with that. At the end of June and at the beginning of July, I got a change to visit South Korea (another dream comes true...) after my OECD course was cancelled. Another things, I bought Ipod Touch that I still didn't touch until now because disinformation about this product ( almost 2 weeks...... it looks like Apple forces their customers to be more diligent to read).

Since Wednesday August 11, Moslem are fasting....and now is the 5th day of Ramadhan. Hope I can through this month without any obstacles. Ramadhan brought back my memories to do fasting in Australia in 2008........brrrr....I don't want through that situation again when I was alone and feel so empty.....

Temptation of continuing education came to tease me when my friends asked me to help them to register their application......but regulation in my office forbides me to do that until next year and my doubt maybe contributes to apply my doctoral program.....(xixixixi I wonder do I have enough courage and confidence to apply Phd??)

Next October 2nd, STAN will conduct big reunion. We planned to attend it with our community

November 10 t0 15, I will be abroad if Ministry of Finance allows and agrees, I am scheduled to visit Budapest, Hungary.....Can't wait to get new experiences...but again..don't expect too much...

Untargeted Live

I cannot explain it why but lately that is my feeling....Life is lost their attraction for me. For a moment I thought maybe because I lost my grandma on the last of February ( may Her rest in peace there...Aminnnnnn)....but it is almost mid March but still I feel it. It is quite change me because I used to be having a positive attitude in every situation and now, I like to be angry and cynical to everyone and I don't like it at all.

Gathering with my closed friends reduced the tension but It was not enough. Hmmm....still looking for the way to solve the problem.......

And it is getting worse when I compared my life to all my friends.......It looks like I'm fail.....Ya Allah...I never did this before....I always be grateful of everything I have and had.......maybe I need a break or holiday?

I hope it will better soon....

Eid Mubarok !!

Today is Thursday September 17, 2009. Ied Fitri is on Sunday, just 3 days left of fasting days. Allah SWT loves me, right now, I got cough almost two weeks.

There were so many lessons I learned at Ramadhan this year. My nephew stayed for 4 days at hospital, made us, each member of my families felt blue and sorry. Look like that staying at the hospital close to big day celebrations becomes habit in my family. Before that, my friend got stroke in his 34 year age and many friends knew they in not good condition. Yeah...we appreciate health when we are sick. Before Ramadhan, in purpose to maintain good health, I avoid carbo and I feel that it works for me and kind of surprise me...I am not feeling hungry.....I try to eat more vegies and fruits. But this ramadhan, I was back to old habits cause I don't want to bother my mom with special request. I hope I can start my vegies and fruits habits after Ied.

This Ramadhan is also the right time to test your mental attitude. Fighting with motorcycle rider happened to me. It made me thinking and wondering that 'the right one is the one who brave and fool to make mistakes' (hahaha....). Then, Poverty still take my breath away...it is so sad when I see a little girl or boy sings at the bus, lives at the street inside the cart or abandoned child in the street. I can not do anything to help them.......

On the other side, Ramadhan make the friendship stronger. We broke fasting together and made us more bounded. For some friends, businesses are growing..busy busy busy ....

Eid Mubarok ! Happy Ied Fitri and enjoy holidays.....