Planning, Tracking and Estimation Awareness Workshop

This week I might not be able to upload a lot of stories. We spend a lot of time in Manga Dua, in North Jakarta. Here we have a program filled with training/workshops and so on on the above stated topics. Quite interesting I’ve to say. I will structure my project here to match with what I’ll learn and I’ll ask if I can take a copy with me for my fellows at the student society, I can see how this course might help out freshman in the start of their studies. Got to go now!

All my bags are packed, it's early morn..

It’s early Monday morning in Jakarta. In our car James Blunt sings his songs, as he usually does when the boss has been using the driver the previous time (and the boss is in the back, singing along with his high voice, as if things have never changed). Although it’s early, around 6.30, the traffic starts to be jammed. I have no need to feel stressed at all. I enjoy reading the sms I received from my friends during the night, while the sun is still low at the horizon, coloring everything in a pale orange, especially the dirty/scratched windscreen of our car..

This weekend I didn’t have Internet at the expat house, got kicked off for a scheduled maintenance. No for need Internet_-lah_, I can entertain myself without the computer. A computer without Internet means something is incomplete for me.

This weekend I did a lot of things. I went to the Royal Netherlands Embassy for an informal event with the new Economic head, I did a visit to a gathering of the BLIC (Belgium Luxembourg Indonesia Club) together with a friend of mine and we closed our Friday program with a visit to Blank & Jones at Embassy. The place was packed, the ambiance was good and the music was good - but very loud..

Saturday (since I am giving this list of things anyways) I went to buy my golf set at Pasar Baru. I’ve been waiting for an address from a friend for some weeks. It took too long, so instead I did some research myself. I met up with Bebih, a girl I met 2 days earlier, in my line of business. We talked about playing golf, and she told me she lived nearby this place. It’s always good to bring someone who is more fluent in the language than me.

In the evening I met up with a girl I met in The Netherlands while she was studying in Amsterdam. Last time I met her was over three years ago, so it really had been some time since we last were in contact. Meeting her was supposed to be a surprise, but the grapevine had been doing it’s gossiping around, so she knew I was in town. Too bad I couldn’t surprise her, but oh so good to meet up with her again.

Sunday I spend a couple of hours on the driving range to play with my new toys. I brought Rudi, a guy from Belgium who was supposed to join me to buy his own gear the day before. He could now just use mine instead to practice. We had a great time, made a lot of progress, but were out of energy when we finished our 400 balls.. You might imagine how, during this night, some blisters developed on one of my hands. Next time I’d better take it a little bit more easy. In the night I had a long sleep. I needed that, the last time I had rest like that, was 2 weeks ago.

During this week I’ll be at Manga Dua for a workshop on Time Tracking/Planning. I love workshops, especially the playful ones. This is the first time I am involved in one that takes 5 days in a row.. Pff. Great thing is that I can go driving every day after work, and I have some friends that live nearby, I can have dinner with. I didn’t see some for 2 weeks, so I can tell you, my week planning does not look that bad.

DiningRia: Lapo

In am getting behind on schedule. There are so many things I need to write about. I think I’ll just have to skip some things to shorten the list. I’ll have to skip the nightlife report for this weekend. I heard people saw me in Red Square, Vertigo, K7, Stadium, Dragon Fly and Embassy. A crazy weekend indeed. I already mentioned the birthday party of Cindy, and in the same light, I might have another social activity some time before I leave for home. Right now I am looking into that.

Something I promised to report about was the food I had this weekend. DiningRia, an informal dinner club that goes out into town to explore the wide variety of food that is not commonly served, had a day out. I thought the original plan was to have one special dish per time we went out, but I kicked off with a couple more the first time! Here I’ll give you a small report on where to eat what, and how much we paid for it. Please, if you have suggestions on where to have the same meal, but in a better quality, please leave it in the comments. Also suggestions are more than welcome. I’ll try everything as long you join me for a bite ;)

The first part is for the dishes we had at Lapo. Lapo is well-known for the dog and pork dishes. I will add the pictures later, internet is too slow in opening the flickrpage with all pictures of the food tried so far. It has a short description with the image, but soon it will just be here too. Currious anyways? Just click here to go to the flickrset directly.

Papaya/Singkong (3000 IDR ~ 0,30 EUR) This is a green mix of vegies and a creamy taste, if I remember correctly. It had a little bit the taste of kale (boerenkool). Not bad at all, although it didn’t look tasty at first.

Babi Sangsang (9.000 IDR ~ 1,00 EUR) Delicious. I love pork, it was sweet with a scent of bacon. This would make a nice snack along your beer.

Babi Panggang (10.000 IDR ~ 1,00 EUR) Too bad the sauce made it taste the same like the dog (or the other way around). Nice though. Vanessa (a reader of this blog) explained me why the sauce is so tasty. In an email she wrote: “Speaking of Lapo’s most notable dish, “Sangsang” that is, it can be made from dog meat or pork, ever wondered what makes the sauce tastes kinda tasty? It’s made from dog/pig’s blood mixed up with other ingredients (herbs and spices), the mixture is cooked along with the meat in hours till the blood is coagulated.”

Anjing Sangsang (10.000 IDR ~ 0,90 EUR) Yes,. anjing. Anjing is a dog, or when you yell it, it’s a bad word. I didn’t expect dogs to be served in Indonesia, for some reason I thought they only served those in China.. But no, they also serve it at Lapo. I had to guess which meat was the one from the dog, because the Babi RW looked the same. I was told in an email by one of the readers that these dogs are not breed, but actually come from the kampung, the village. The meat is just like normal meet though.

Feeling sick, or do you think that I missed something? If you know where I can get a hold of the dish I should really try, please leave me a comment. I will see if it’s possible to go there to try the food. I feel like trying everything, as long it doesn’t kill me or get me sick. I could also say, as long you are eating along :)

I can imagine a lot of you don’t want to try this, even when I tell you the taste is nice. Just in case you gott curious, Lapo has several places all over Jakarta:

  • Jalan Gelora Los A1, Senayan, Jakarta Pusat (Center)
  • HP: 08128120312 / 08128404436
  • Jalan Satria Raya No. 166, Grogol
  • Blok R.L. Sektor VII No. 24 (beside Mc Donalds), BSD Serpong
  • Jalan Margonda Raya No. 217, Depok
  • TEL: (021) 7775468

Entering the next level

I recently came across an opening at an Information Communication and Technology (ICT) company and, after giving it some thought, I find it quite appealing. Had you asked me six months ago about my ideal internship, a position within ICT wouldn’t have been at the top of my list. However, my views have shifted. I’m a step closer to landing it – I haven’t secured the position yet…