Flight
tickets – checked.
Luggage
– checked.
Good
vibes – checked!
Were we
going to DWP (in case you didn’t know, it’s Djakarta Warehouse Project)?
No.
It is
ORCHAN’S COMPANY TRIP to Jakarta! YAY!
No,
seriously, Ru Jun and I were genuinely excited for the trip, not even realising
that DWP was happening the same weekend we were there. Clearly, we weren’t
their target audience.
Anyway!
Having scheduled
several meetings in the bustling city of Jakarta with representatives of
different universities and business associates, Craig and Farrell were the
first to depart earlier in the week; leaving Ru Jun, Soufyan and I to fend for
ourselves (office party #ftw). But before long, Ru Jun and I made our way to
KLIA, excited to get on the plane to Jakarta and reunite with Craig and
Farrell. As you can tell, we missed their craziness. Why didn’t Soufyan join
us? He too cool for us yo~ (Instead, he visited the tax-free land of Langkawi
with his housemates.)
Even before arrival, Ru Jun and I were informed about the massive jam in
Jakarta, and how it’d take at least
half an hour before getting to a location five minutes away from our
accommodation. For me at least, I thought I was prepared. I take the Federal Highway to work every now and
then, so I can understand. But boy did the macet
in Jakarta surprise us.
 |
| Macet, macet! |
Travel
Tip: If you’re ever in Jakarta, take the Blue Bird taxis. They are reliable,
and the drivers find the quickest route possible to get to where you want to
go.
Despite
the fact that our company trip is a lot smaller in number this year as compared
to last, the vibe was just as great. After we freshened up in the hotel at
Sabang, on the night we arrived, Craig and Farrell took us to a nearby food
stall called “Nasi Gila” to try their “Mee Goreng Gila”; yes, yes, we know what
you’re thinking. We also ordered their “Nasi Maut” which is a combination of
rice and noodles stir-fried with vegetable, along with some lamb and beef sate.
Ohhh, they were so yummy!
 |
| Mee Goreng Gila |
 |
| Nasi Goreng Mawut |
Beverage
Tip: Jus Terung Belanda (in English, they’re called Tamarillo Juice) is a must
try! While I won’t say it is a thirst quencher (because you’ll want Jus Jeruk
for that), it offers a unique flavour, unlike any other fruit juice you’ve
probably tried.
On our
first day in Jakarta, Craig and Farrell had scheduled a meeting with representatives
from Swiss German University’s (SGU) Department of Communication (more in-depth
news on that, and more, soon!). Besides getting to know what type of student
Manda was (a former Orchan intern), they also got to discussing on guest
lecture opportunities as a form of giving back to the community, not just in
Malaysia, but regionally as well.
 |
| Craig and Farrell with the SGU Team |
While Craig and Farrell took on SGU, Ru Jun and I decided to take
explore Grand Indonesia. We were told it was an extra-large shopping mall
(think Mid Valley x Gardens) and couldn’t be tracked throughout in a single
day; which is why we were all the more determined to do so. While we were
convinced we had checked out the entire mall, we were told we had missed out a
section of the east (or west) side of the retail property.
Shopping
Tip: We truly believe that in order to tackle the entire mall in a single day,
you have to explore the whole of East side before you move on to the West.
There are parts in the East side which are not accessible via escalators from
the other side, so yes, it gets a tad complicated.
That
evening, we reunited with Craig and Farrell, as well as a Manda, who has now
technically joined us for our company trip for the first time (although really,
she lives in Jakarta; so we brought the company trip to her). We caught up and
reminisced over great food at Leko in Lotte Shopping mall, before proceeding to
check out the sales they were having.
With a
full day the day before, Saturday saw us winding down and taking it slow. While
Craig recuperated in the hotel room, Farrell, Ru Jun and I made our way to Oey
for brunch, before heading to Taman Sari Royal Heritage Spa for pampering
sessions.
 |
| Ru Jun's after-foot-massage glow |
In the
evening, we were scheduled to meet Manda again; except this time, we finally
met her other half. They brought us to a quaint little spot called ‘H’, which
offered delicious food at great prices, before exploring another bar nearby.
 |
| H Gourmet & Vibes, Senopati, Jakarta |
 |
| The food was absolutely delish. Don't let the photo fool you! |
 |
| Manda, Craig, Christina, Farrell, Ru Jun and Madhya |
 |
| Fitzroy GastroBar, Senopati, Jakarta |
As the night progressed, Craig, Farrell and Ru Jun retired back to the
hotel (but they got their hands on some yummy murtabak first), while Manda and
Madhya brought me to a club called Pao Pao to check out their party scene.
 |
| The savoury murtabak |
The first to wake up the next day, Ru Jun took on the city by foot,
making her way to the National Monument (MONAS). Then, she checked out The Wayang
Museum – which is dedicated to Javanese wayang puppetry, before moving on to Indonesia’s
Bank Museum.
 |
| Ru Jun at MONAS |
 |
| "Look at all that gold bars. I'm finally rich." |
On our
last day, we took it slow before we have to make our way to the airport (hours
before due to the jam). We visited our usual coffee-spot (check out Saudagar
Kopi) for our final round of coffee, bidding them a heavy goodbye. The
Jakarta hospitality has truly been an experience for us, and we will certainly
make our way there again (as promised to the baristas in Saudagar Kopi~ haha).
‘Til next time!
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