Summer Trip to London in 2008

 *Trying to remembering my old past summer trip to London* *ok, let's start it.*  I can't believe it had been 12 years. Why I wanna share this journey? Because this was my first journey abroad as a solo trip, alone, and to a different continent, different time way before WIB. I went there on July 27, 2008, after I consider many things that happened in Bandung (where I study) and some activities that can't be cancelled. I remembered on that day, 27 July 2008. my dad and my brother drop me to the airport, without my mom. This journey started because of something that happened at that time. My disappointment leads me to an ad on Facebook about the English course. They offer an English course or an internship in some countries such as the UK and the US. At first, I want to try an internship, yet it's already full because the destination that I prefer is London, so I chose an English course then. After many processes and many things to take care, finally met the day I have to travel to London. Arrived at the airport, my cabin carrier was more than 8kilos, lol, so I have to repack my stuff from my cabin luggage to my backpack and my luggage, at the end I didn't bring my cabin luggage, my dad brought it back to home (still remembering how disappointed my dad at that time *guiltygrin. While I'm waiting for my flight, I and my dad and big brother went to Bakso Malang for lunch. I don't know whether that restaurant still there or not? because that restaurant holds many memories of me and my parents. Ok, before that check passport first Because I use Etihad as my transport, so many immigrant workers who want to work in Arab, that's why I had to transit at AbuDhabi airport. And when I arrived for transit I was in awe, the airport so unique

since this was my first overseas journey that needed a transit, I felt so lost and a little bit scared tho. To buy time, I roamed around at the airport, met an immigrant lady worker while I sat down to wait for my next flight. We had chat and she helped me to wait for my backpack when I was away to the toilet. She also offered me her snacks, she saved my hunger because I forgot to bring my snacks, huft. Wherever you're now Bu, I hope you and family are healthy, aamiin. 

Excitement filled my soul that time, I was so excited and can't sleep at all, so I only watch movies and when I spotted Big Ben and the London Eye (because I sat next to the window), my heart screams out loud, lol. Funny huh? Yet I still remembered how happy I was when I saw those two landscapes. Finally, I had arrived at Heathrow Airport, there a person from EF already wait for me and 2 Thailand young man. When I arrived the man who picked us said that my name was not on the list, confused, I checked his paper and trying to find my name, then I found my family name, not my surname, no wonder he said that he didn't have my name. Then we went to the car park and luckily I was the first one dropped to my host home. My shocked still continues when I found out that my host family are Sri Lankan not British. But they're so nice people tho. Luckily, my host family home is near to Eltham Highstreet, so after I drop my luggage and backpack, I strolling around the high street to find the prepaid card, since I'm going to stay for 6 weeks at that time. And my eyes again in awed when I found out that there're many branded stores, such as Mark and Spencer, Next, Boots, Dorothy Perkins, Debenhams, and many more... :p I almost got lost when I wanna go to Eltham station to buy weekly train pass, lol. When I found out my way to the station, I passed by my host home, then I saw a new roommate who just came. Well, when I arrived at the locket was closed, so I went back home. I introduced myself to my new roommate, her Name: Lusine Karapetyan. Origin: Armenia. At that time we had two Russian who are nice yet ready to going back to their country because their course had ended. After we wait for them and say goodbye, I and Lusi went to buy a train ticket, luckily the locket already open, and since Tina, our host mom, suggest us to pay a visit to Eltham Park, where the queen love to spend her time with so many beautiful flowers, so we decided to go to the Park. Oh, of course, we lost on our way, lol, quite far from our way, when the summer heat literally shone at that day, we decided to go to the park after we asked a lady and voila! we arrived at Eltham Park. Even though the park not so big, yet it was beautiful and the flower in the summer still blossom beautifully, so colourful. You can see from the photo here, that was only on the entrance gate, not yet the whole park. !!! ... It was such an exciting journey, even though we're sunbathing yet so memorable :) I can't thank enough to Allah 

Renewal Passport

Haiii long time I've never updated anything on my blog. Now I'm trying to update more on my blog.

Today I'm going to update on how to renew your passport (for Indonesian citizen). In April, I just renew my passport and I did it at Mal Pelayanan Publik (MPP) at South Jakarta, behind Westin Hotel Kuningan.

Since I've to renew my passport 6months before the due month (which is the due month is in November). I tried to renew it in April thru website https://antrian.imigrasi.go.id/ with some of the problematic things that happened when I'm trying to renew my passport from the website. For example,  I can't find the date to make an appointment. So, that's why I chose to make an appointment from Android App "Antrian Paspor" (you can search it on PlayStore). From that app, I finally can make an appointment to renew my passport.

Ok, I'm going to share step-by-step to renew my passport, hope it's going to help you guys. 

1. As I stated before, you can apply via https://antrian.imigrasi.go.id/ 

source: website antrian.imigrasi.go.id

or from Android App "Antrian Paspor" (you can search it on PlayStore).

(Source: Antrian Paspor App for Android)

2. If you don't have the account yet, you can apply it by choosing "Daftar Sekarang" then you must fill your data. 

(Source: Mobile Antrian Paspor Online) 

If you have finished it then you must check your email (or you can check your Spam mail) to verify your account. After you've verified your account, go back to the website or your app by typing your username and password, click Login.

3. After you've logged in, simply following the steps to apply the registration to get the schedule. Here are the steps after you've logged in:

3.a. Choose where you want to go to renew your passport (as for me at Mal Pelayanan Publik Jakarta Selatan, so I chose that one, see the number on the screenshot, no.1 is the place and no.2 to the next step)

(Source: Mobile Antrian Paspor Online) 

3.b. Choose how many person who wants to apply to renew their passport 

(Source: Mobile Antrian Paspor Online) 

3.c. Choose the appointment date, for this one, sometimes it can be tricky and stated that the date already unavailable for a month, keep refresh)

(Source: Mobile Antrian Paspor Online) 

4. On the appointment date, don't forget to bring: a. ID Card (KTP) for citizen age 17 above and b. Passport. Both of them have to be copied! So, you're going to bring your ID and the one that had been copied and your old passport and it copy (4 items/documents).

5. Come to the place that you agreed when you apply the appointment before the time. As for me at MPP Jakarta Selatan, so I came exactly 8:00 a.m. On the ground floor, on the right after the entrance, you're going to see this machine and choose no.3 to take the queuing (or if the machine didn't work, ask the receptionist (on the left after this machine) how to get to immigration. I was directed to take a lift (across the receptionist) to the 3rd floor)

(Source: My own)

6. After you've arrived on the 3rd floor, you've to fill a guest book (if you didn't get the queuing number on the ground floor). Then you've to wait for your name to be called.

(Source: My own)

7. When your name was called, the officer going to ask whether you choose normal passport or e-passport (I chose e-passport) then they're going to take your photo. 
(P.S.: if you still have a valid visa in your old passport, please ask the officer you give it back to you when you take your new passport, so they're going to keep it and give it back to you)

8. After you took your photo, don't forget to pay at Bank DKI on the 2nd floor. You need to pay it with cash.

(Source: My own)

9. Immigration going to issue your new passport in 7days working hours (not including Saturday and Sunday)

10. Voila! you get your new passport in 7days working hours!

Renewing US Visa Without Interview

What happy news! The time comes when I forgot to renew my The US VISA before the date of expired, yet I keep it calm and maintain my mind without any nervousness (But PLEASE don't do the same like I did!! Or else you don't know what will happen, lol). Then I just try to follow the rule from the US Embassy Jakarta website.. Here I shared step-by-step how to renew US VISA without being interviewed:

1.       First thing that you need to do is TAKING A PICTURE!! Yes, you need to take 5cm x 5cm photo with white background (feel free to ask your photographer that you need PHOTO for US VISA, and ask whether you can get the soft copy, in a CD (or directly to your own flash disk), or not)

2.       Secondly, fill Electronic Application of DS-160 form from https://ceac.state.gov/GenNIV/

(there you can put yours .JPEG photo and also they have an application to crop your photo to 5x5cm by this all you need to do is simply upload your softcopy photo from your CD or flash disk, the recent photo for sure, and upload it to the app and it will crop your photo), follow all the instructions and fill all the details that you need to fill, if you're going to renew your visa, they're going to ask your previous visa number (you can see from the right bottom of your US Visa, it contains 8numbers with RED FONT COLOUR). After you've fill all the form that is needed you're going to get Application ID number (10 numbers)

(This one is my old Visa that has stamped with Cancelled Without Prejudice)

3.       After that do log-in (or make new user if you haven’t got any user id before) to: https://cgifederal.secure.force.com/?language=English&country=Indonesia

then follow every step that is needed on the application, then you're going to see Application ID to be filled (please fill application ID that you've got before) then follow every step that you need to fill again till it finished. Fill YES/NO to every question that you see.

4.       When you've finished filling Apply for your VISA. You're going to be directed to pay for your VISA Fee (US$ 160, you must pay in Rupiah which converted by the embassy), you've got Virtual Account number (16 numbers) and you can select the payment option: Cash Payment and Electronic Fund Transfer. I prefer to pay in Cash Payment. I'm asking my friend to help me to pay the fee from CIMB Niaga Bank because I don't have an account there (of course, after I transfer my money to her, lol). In addition, US Embassy suggests to pay from CIMB Niaga, but US Embassy is using Bank of America in Jakarta. When you finished transferred visa fee, CIMB Niaga going to give you a green receipt (DON'T LOSE IT!!). Now all you need to do is waiting for the confirmation (it's usually 1x24hours) before you log-in back to the side to confirm receipt, REMEMBER!! your receipt number is your virtual account number!!

5.       On the next day, at the time you transferred the fee from yesterday, you can log-in back to the site before https://cgifederal.secure.force.com/?language=English&country=Indonesia (input your e-mail and your password before), after you've entered then click "Continue" on the upper left side,

please input your receipt number (yes, again!! your receipt number is your virtual account number!!) then you're going to get your dropbox confirmation (it contains barcode and QR-Code). Then print all the documents that you need:

a.       Nonimmigrant Visa – Confirmation (It has barcode of your confirmation number and photo visa)

b.      Dropbox Confirmation

c.       Visa Photo 5x5cm (2pieces)

d.      The Receipt from Cash Payment (as I said before that I paid from CIMB Niaga Bank, so I gave the green one)

Bring ALL the documents to the nearest RPX (I choose RPX near Lawson at Jl. Prof. Dr Satrio No.64B, ex "Gado2 Camera" Casablanca, Jakarta 12310). They open at 10:00 a.m. – 15:00 p.m. (the Staff for US Visa is on the 2nd Floor)

When you had submitted your documents, the Staff is going to give you the receipt for you to bring it when your passport that has the latest US Visa on it already arrived back to RPX. Usually, you’re going to get the passport 7-10days, but it can be earlier to only next 5days.

If you're applying for the very first time, you're going to do an interview to know whether you're eligible to get the visa or not. Since I was interviewed 5 years ago, I didn't remember correctly the questions, but I can help you with some questions that I remember. The interviewer is going to ask you some questions:
1. What is your name, age, job (student/worker)? > just answer it. Your name, your DOB, your occupation based on the document you've submitted
2. How long you're going to stay? > just answer it for how long? a week, a month or several days.
3. Where're you going to stay? > just answer it whether you're going to stay in a hotel or with your relative.
4. With whom you're going to travel? > if you're going to travel by yourself or friends or family just say it
5. What is the purpose of applying? > answer it for travelling. Because at that time I went there to come to my brother's graduation, I answer with that too.
6. Are you not interested to live or work in the USA? (please!! don't get trapped with this question!!) as for these question I answer it that I only want to travel nothing else, also I still have my parents and family who is living in Indonesia, so I'm not interested in working or to living in the USA. (the purpose of this question is to know whether you're having any different motive to apply for the visa).

When you've finished the interview, you're going to get the white paper (that's if you're eligible to get the visa, these paper also giving you information where you should get your passport that has a visa on it), yellow paper (it means that they're still considering your visa), or red (it means you won't get the visa).

Well, those are questions that I remember. Hope those are going to help you. Just be confident and positive, Dress well and proper when you do your interview (please not wearing sandals and t-shirt. At that time I wore a red shirt and trousers. Wear a colour that makes you confident, just don't wear a dark colour, I don't think that's going to impress the interviewer)

PS: When you've got all the documents, please don't forget to double print all the documents that you need and also save the file as PDF, just in case the hard copy one is ruined or lost (hope it’ll never happen)

Then, happy to apply for the US Visa. Enjoyed your stay in the US and experience as many as possible experience such as sightseeing and shopping.

Magic it's MAGIC!!

Magic it's Magic!! I've found one of my favourite multi-purpose cream ever!! At first I don't believe it that this product totally moist your skin and can be use as many things..I've knew this product from few years ago (about 3-4years ago) but I insist to buy because I thought this product is quiet pricey..but when I saw my sister-in-law post about this product on her instagram, I ask her about whether this product totally good enough or not, then suddenly she gave me for free, the smallest one (2oz-56ml), she said that I just need to try it first before I'm going to purchase it next time if I don't have any allergic when I use this product and VOILA!!! I love this product!!

EMC 2oz (56ml). Source: private

Yup!! Product that I mention is Egytian Magic Cream!! I just can't believe how moist is the product until one day when I'm at office where I have to face cold Air Conditioner, I remembered that I bring EMC in my bag, so I tried to put it on my skin feet and as you can see the difference between my left foot and my right foot (the one that I put EMC on).

Left: without EMC, Right: with EMC
Souce: private

I didn't put EMC on my left foot and I put EMC on my right foot. As you can see that my left foot (a little bit white skin) is so dry compared to my right foot (a little bit yellow skin) which is I put EMC on.

This product also really gives your skin moisture all day long.. frankly saying, I'm who is praying and to take wudhu (the Islamic procedure for washing parts of the body using water) for 2times (around 1p.m. and 4p.m.) still able to feel the moist from EMC..so different with others moisturiser that I've used before.. after I take wudhu, my skin start to feel dry and I have to put back moisturiser to make it moist! But not with EMC, you put it once for all day long..

Last time, I tried to use this product when my friend got sting by jellyfish which made his skin red, I remembered that I bring this product with me, so I tell him to put this on his skin which is got stung by. After he put this product on his skin, all those redness disappeared!! (sorry I forgot to take picture of this) me and my friends amazed by that and believe that this product really MULTI PURPOSE CREAM!! I'm going to keep continue puchasing this product.

Ujung Kulon Trip

August 31st, 2015

Hello...it's my new blog. Freshly new, to share every moments that I have in my life whether about traveling, culinary and make-up in my life.

Let's start with my journey last time to Ujung Kulon with my friends. We've planed it from early this month, yet we just booked it D-4 before D-Day, well that's us..haha. We booked it from Ujung Kulon Wild , to be honest we're paying it too expensive (different with the price that's written on the website) maybe that's because we booked it D-4 but thank Allah that my friends wanna pay for it because we're paying not only for the trip but also the journey, experiences and happiness that can't be bought with anything *tssaahhh.

Day1 (August 28th, 2015)

We're meeting at Sarinah, Thamrin at 21:00 and leaving at 22:00, our driver arrived late, because he faced traffic jam. We're supposed to leave at 21:00 (or 21.:30 at least) but we're leaving at 22:00. Thanks to Antimo that's makes me easily sleep on our way to Sumur. My friends said that the driver drove the car so rough that made them had to change change their seat position because it's too hurt for them.

Day2 (August 29th, 2015)

We're arrived at Sumur early in the morning (maybe at 04:30) take a nap for a moment and leaving from Sumur to Cigenter River at 07:00. Here's sneak peak from our trip on Day2

Our group ready to go to our trip with a boat

Full load with this peeps on a boat

It's a place to say "hi" to inform us that we want to take a trip in Ujung Kulon

Canoeing at Cigenter River 

Cigenter River where you can find Piton and Rhino if we're lucky

Savana at Padang Penggembalaan Cidaon

Still Savana at Padang Penggembalaan Cidaon where bulls and peacocks live here

It's said that if you want to see this fellas, you can see them at 06:00-08:00 am and 05:00-06:00 pm

This's a wave that makes us oscillate for 3 hours at the sea

Sunset from the sea

we're finishing our trip at 04:00 pm when we're on our way back to resort, we've to face a heavy wave that took us 3hours to reach land!! My friend, Alfon, already had a teary eyes and saying "Allahu Akbar", I'm already freeze enough, forgot to bring my jacket yet finally able to sleep because my friends willing to change seat with me and Agnez, my girl friend, to seat on the top of boat mechine, even though that seat is in front of toilet, but that's the warmest spot after a small room that's already full with the others. Finally, Alhamdulillah then we're arrived at Ciputih Beach Resort at 08:00 pm, took a bath then had our dinner and had a game with the orthers. Also we're going to sleep around 11:00 pm.

Day3 (August 30th, 2015)

We had our breakfast at 07:00 am, because we're so tired, no one is able to see sunset! those heavy wave that we faced yesterday really made us tired! at 08:00 am we're heading to Oar Island for our first snorkeling. 

In Oar Islan, the spot isn't too beautiful to be honest, also there're lots of jellyfishes. One of my friend got stung by jellyfish while snorkeling. He had red mark around his neck that's visible to see and some swollen bumps on his left face. Then I remembered that I'm bringing my EMC (Egyptian Magic Cream) *I'm gonna post about this on another post* and I tell him to try to put it and luckily those red mark and swollen bumps that's appear around his neck and on his left face quickly disappear! He's also didn't feel any hot and itchy anymore (sorry, no picture attached, but that's for sure). The funny thing happened after he put those cream, my another friend's snorkeling bag to put in his fins and all suddenly drop to the sea and he's only looking at it but me and Agnez already scream that's his stuff! And quickly Harsha jump into the sea to get it back and the boat have to stop for a moment. His reason not to quickly jump is because he's also holding the other one, so that bag won't jump to the ocean too.

For the second spot, we went to Mangir Island. In here the wind start to blew so hard, not so easy to snorkel and swimming to reach the land, I have to wear life vest because my friend told me so, but then I realize, life vest while swimming just makes me difficult to move, to swim. In here, I'm the only one who did a silly thing. I almost lost my friend's action camera!! So I made my friends panic to help me search those camera before it's too late, luckily, again, Harsha is the one who found it! But he's also the one who made a prank and told everybody not to tell me that he's already found it.. *grrr....* but luckily that one of my friend who's so innocent, accidently pop-up from water that the action camera already found!! My friend who has those action camera also already knew about that all long...hahaha, silly me!!

For the third spot, also the last spot was Badul Island..the spot in here so beautiful! The wave and the wind also not as hard as before, but the water not so clear, maybe because of the sand, so the water not as clear as in Bira Island in Pulau Seribu (Thousand Island). But we enjoyed to had free diving in here. My friend got a snap of me while I'm successfully duck dive vertically and I'm so amazed!!

Harsha and Agnez

Dunno what he's doing

Fishes

Nemoes know how to pose

When my friend able to captured me vertically while duck dive

After we're finished with our snorkeling and free diving, we're heading back to Ciputih to prepare our way back to Jakarta. We're back to Jakarta at 2pm, took break for 2times, at 5pm then 6pm for praying and arrived in Jakarta at 10pm. We do really had fun!