Foodie: Batagor Mang Apep, Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia

This is one of the most delicious batagor I have tasted outside Bandung, the origin of this food. And I recommend this place to my Surabaya friends who don't care if they eat at a roadside food vendor like this one......

It is located on Jalan Manyar Surabaya near the intersection between Jalan Manyar and Jalan Ngagel Jaya Utara. It is open only at night like any other roadside food vendors in Surabaya....

Note to take: please be aware that they might run out of foods to sell as they reach 9pm every night (depending on the business of that day).

And it is very very cheap in my opinion..... Eventhough it is a roadside food vendor, the authentic taste of their batagor didn't disappoint..... The owner is from bandung so no wonder their batagor taste like as if I am in Bandung....

The batagor tastes really good. Its crisp is awesome. The sweetness is just right, and if you like it a little bit spicy, you can add some chili "sambal". The peanut sauce is just as awesome as the batagors I usually taste in Bandung......

This is definitely one place that you should go when you are craving for some batagor.

Travel Capute: In Vienna

A Tourist Destination in Vienna, Austria

Taken in August 2009

during my Europe Trip in 2009

My Next Travel Destination: Komodo National Park & Flores

After a couple days of thinking and researching, I decided that Komodo National Park would be my next Indonesian travel destination. There are so many beautiful places in Indonesia that I want to explore but this one just can't wait any longer.

I have been wanting to go since last year when I realized that it's one of the most fascinating places in the world, one place that is so unique and can't be found anywhere else in the planet. And yes, this one is something that we Indonesians should be very proud of....

I am so excited to meet the giant lizards, to experience the life of the locals, to enjoy the panoramic views, and to explore the underwater life of this UNESCO World Heritage Site. It will for sure be a different world and something very very exciting to experience.

Talking about expectations, I do have a lot of expectations about this particular place and fingers crossed that it will satisfy my wanderlust cravings. Therefore, I can't wait to check off one of the many many items in my travel bucket list and hopefully it will happen SOON.

I might combine my trip to Wae Rebo and Kelimutu National Park depending on the schedule that I am making later....

So who else is in for the possibly adventure of a lifetime? *wink*

Watch out for my adventures in East Nusa Tenggara, the next biggest Indonesian travel destination..... :)

Photo: Finding Nemo at Kakaban Island, Derawan Islands, East Kalimantan, Indonesia

Oh look at this amazing picture by @christ_nicolaus .............

This kind of photograph makes me wanna go on a snorkeling trip and another and another and another...... Yeah, I am one of those who like the underwater world and all its beauty.....

Even though I don't like to be in contact with the fishes, I enjoy the view and the peacefulness inside the water....

Oh when can I go on another snorkeling trip? Hopefully, I can make it happen soon..... :)

Have a great day everybody!

Follow my traveling instagram @indonesiaisme for all the amazing travel destinations in Indonesia......

Sichuan Opera: The Striking Face Change Technique - Bian Lian

Never in my mind or in any of my traveling plans that I have intention to watch a Chinese Opera before. Probably this opera thingy didn't interest me that much.

However, if you know me, my travel principle is to go or to do anything that I have never done before at least once. If I like it, I might do it again. If I don't, I probably won't be back.

This travel principle is actually the one thing that makes me wanna go anywhere and try a lot of different things that are different from my daily life. And it turns out that nothing was ever that disappointing. It turns out that in everything I see or to everywhere I go, there are always some things to learn, new perspectives to gain, and many people to learn from. This is the main reason why I love traveling.

Early this September, I had the chance to visit China. As this was my first time, it got me really excited and I began to research about the places and the things to do in the cities that I was gonna visit. I spent a lot of hours googling and google mapping and making a list of things to do like any other avid travelers do.

One of the things that were in my itinerary provided by the tour operator was to watch the Sichuan Opera "Face Change" or commonly known in Chinese language as Bian Lian in Chengdu City, the Capital of Sichuan Province of China.

Coming here, I didn't have any high expectation at all. So my plan was to watch a little bit of it to get a sense of what's going on in the show and only to experience a little bite of Sichuanese or Chinese cultures and then leave somewhere in the middle of the show.

The theatre was actually crowded and I observed that it was almost full house. Probably it's full of tourists like us and I believe many local tours bring foreigners to this show since this show provides English translation for its audiences.

When I arrived at my seat, the show was already started a couple minutes before. As the show went on, I saw a lot of dancing and opera singing in Chinese ways and also a lot of beautiful vibrant colors so typical of Chinese culture. I never thought I would enjoy the show that much. It was actually really cool and uhm, different, from my world. Here I got to taste what Chinese culture is all about. The beautiful girls dancing, the weird characters making jokes, and the intricate storytelling of Chinese history, these were just things I eventually love to see and observe.

The one and half hour show didn't bore me, completely different from my expectation. And my plan to leave in the middle of the show, I ended up didn't do it. I sat there watching and observing the performing arts full through. And thank God I could capture most parts of the show through my digital camera in pictures and videos that you can watch above and for me to rewatch again sometime in the future.

In conclusion, you might have many expectations about the things you haven't done before and the places you haven't been before, good or bad. However, one thing that I learn here is that when you have a bad expectation, expect that bad expectation to fail. Have a good attitude about it. You don't know what you haven't done before. Just face it and sit through it, then you will definitely learn something......

"Money is something that can come and go. But experience and knowledge are the two assets in life that nobody can take away from you, ever....."

Note: please enjoy the videos above..... I hope you like Sichuanese Opera "Face Change" as much as I do. :)

Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport: The Best-Designed Airport I Have Ever Been to

I have been to so many airports in the world but nothing beats the amazing architectural design of the Terminal 3 of Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport. 

My best friend told me that whenever I am in Shenzhen I should definitely make a visit to the airport. Luckily during my last trip to China, I happened to arrive in Shenzhen and eye witnessed the great design of the airport. 

The architecture is definitely stunning and I could spend hours here just to observe and take pictures of the many amazing parts of this airport. Unfortunately, I only had less than an hour in this airport. And I could tell you for sure that one hour was very well spent. It satisfied my engineering eyes and my cravings for architecturally pleasing building....

The architects looked at the shapes of various living creatures when planning the layout of the airport. "The concept of the plan for Terminal 3 of Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport evokes the image of a manta ray, a fish that breathes and changes its own shape, undergoes variations, and turns into a bird to celebrate the emotion and fantasy of a flight." said the architects.

The thousands of hexagonal skylights bring natural light into the new terminal designed by Italian architects Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas.....

This airport is for sure important for the future of Shenzhen as a booming business and tourist destination.....

Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China.....

Foodie: Kepiting Kapasan Surabaya

10 Things You Gotta Know About "Kepiting Kapasan"

Location:
https://mapsengine.google.com/map/edit?mid=zCfqtvFC4l34.k6kb5xAgImUg

1. One of the most awesome roadside seafood vendors in Surabaya..... Remember that it is "roadside" which also means on "the sidewalk" where it is very close to the motor vehicles passing by (or "ngemper" as Indonesians call it). Some of you might not like the environment but who cares?! we come here for the food :)

2. They serve fresh and alive crabs with a couple different sizes with different prices..... The crabs are pretty big and taste good.....

3. The best sauce is the spicy sweet and sour sauce. Yummy!!! They serve other kinds of sauces too but I most recommend this sauce.....

4. It is located on Kapasan Street (hence the name we call it). The actual name of this business is something else, so don't try to find a banner saying "Kepiting Kapasan".

5. It's been open since a lot of years ago, not sure how many, but it's very popular among locals.....

6. They are usually pretty busy and might have a long queue for the table..... Sigh! One of their downsides..... Be prepared and don't come here too hungry! But the wait is completely worth it.....

7. They actually have a "branch" located near the original one. Just ask them where it is and they will explain to you how to get there..... Or when it is very busy, they will actually offer you to go to their "branch".

8. The crabs are DELICIOUS...... Just DELICIOUS! D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S......

9. You have to try it...... MUST TRY when you are in Surabaya.... If you happen not to like it, well, at least you try it.....

10. Are you in Surabaya? Well, you know you gotta go there now!!! :) :) :)

Food Adventure: Mie KJ (Kembang Jepun) Surabaya

Pangsit Mie (Noodle with Dumpling)

As the name suggests, Mie KJ can be found at Kembang Jepun Street in Surabaya City. It is only open at night and located by the roadside in front of the closed stores.

For your information, Kembang Jepun street is a busy business area from morning until afternoon. 

The street is typically full of cars, pedicabs, and pedestrians during the day. However, during the night, there are not that many cars passing by and not many business activities going on. Therefore, it is a pretty peaceful area to be at night time.

Mie KJ is a street food vendor that has been around for quite a long time. I believe it is open since 1960. Hence, it is pretty legendary in Surabaya.

For me, the noodle is quite delicious. With the aldente noodles and delicious soups, it is definitely worth a visit when you are in Surabaya. It is one of the go-to places for your culinary adventure in the city.

Usually Mie KJ is pretty busy with some people standing for their turn for a table. This proves that it is quite a well known place to eat. So be prepared to wait for a bit when it gets busy.

You could try a lot of different types of noodles here; pangsit mie; lo mie; he mie; etc. Choose your favourite type of noodles as you like it. I don't really know the many types of noodles since I am not too big of a fan of noodle.

In conclusion, this is of course one of the places to go when you are in Surabaya especially if you are a noodle lover and looking for a roadside foods.

Note: Please make sure you don't come looking for Mie KJ on Thursdays since they are close.....

Power Adapter for "Free"

I just "bought" a power adapter worth S$37.29 at Singapore Changi Airport for 0 cents.

When you get a chance to be at Singapore Changi Airport, register your passport for a $20 voucher that you can used at any restaurant or shop inside the airport.

For this charger I combined two vouchers summing up to $40 in value. Therefore, I didn't have to pay any cents for this.

So, don't miss it!!!

Hotel Review: FM7 Hotel Resort, Jakarta

I just stayed at this hotel last night for a transit. I spent about 6 hours here at the hotel for some sleep.

In my opinion, this hotel is a decent place to stay for a transit due to its close proximity to the Soekarno Hatta International Airport.

This hotel offers shuttle buses between hotel and the airport.

Location: 8/10
The main reason to stay at this hotel is the close distance from the airport. However, it is not that close either. There are some other hotels closer to the airport. In addition, there might be some traffic to and from the hotel because the roads leading to the hotel is quite narrow (one lane).

Hotel Room: 9/10
The hotel room is great. I had a good night sleep in bed. The bathroom is also spacey and clean.

Facilities: 9/10
Since I only spent like 7 hours here to sleep I didn't get a chance to check out their facilities. But, I read that they have pretty much a resort hotel should have, like swimming pool and gym.

Basically this is a good option if you wanna stay close to the airport and I would for sure come back to this hotel when I feel the need to...