Vientiane Revisited

When I was visiting Glover Garden and admiring the late afternoon view of Nagasaki, I was reminded again of some places I had visited before. Yes, cities such as Liverpool, Hiroshima, Nanning and Vientiane. At that time, I couldn't help thinking that it could be the one and only time I saw them. Once in a lifetime should be enough. 

But yet from time to time, life did provide a reason for me to return. A year ago, my friend Eday gave me a free trip and I finally returned to Phuket after 13 years. This year turned out to be a time for Vientiane. 15 years after my first and only visit, I came back because of Hard Rock Cafe Vientiane.

In Vientiane. Again!

There are direct flights now (four seats per row, first time seeing this). Back then I had to fly via KL. When I landed, there was this déjà vu feeling that I walked this path at Wattay Airport before. It felt nostalgic, like it was done a lifetime ago. So Bernard and I took the picture there to commemorate the moment. 

As we headed to our hotel, Vientiane felt like a city lost in time. 15 years of progress couldn't do much to change the laid-back image of the capital city of Laos. Yes, there was development done and city looked slightly better than before. It even had Loca and Loca Pay, the local equivalent of Grab and Alipay. But when I recorded the videos and shared them with my high school friends in our group chat, the general comments were how similar Vientiane was with my hometown Pontianak.

Hard Rock, as seen from our hotel.

Except it was quieter, I'd say. That whole mindset of even my hometown was much more crowded that I had since the first visit still remained. But at least the city was clean and safe. And we had a walk. First destination was Hard Rock Cafe, which was so unbelievably near to our hotel, Doubletree by Hilton. The t-shirts collections were much better than Rock Shops in Tianjin and New Delhi!

Based on our itinerary that was created by Perplexity AI, we didn't have anything to do that afternoon, so we walked towards Major Platinum Cineplex. As we headed there, I passed by Wat Sisaket that I visited with Benny 15 years ago. Right in front of us, I saw Patuxai, a monument that has a similar design as Arc de Triomphe in Paris. When we made our final turn, there was Talat Sao in the corner of the junction. The only plaza that existed during my first visit was still there, though it looked much more rundown than before. 

Bernard felt like having Koi in Laos.

We were supposed to watch Thunderbolt* at 16:20, but little did I know that it'd be a Hollywood movie with a local language. As I wasn't ready to see superheroes speaking Thai/Lao, we opted for a latter show at 18:30. We spent our time exploring Parkson and ate at Pizza Company instead. One thing stood out was the waiters/waitresses. Most, if not all, looked underage!

Now, excluding Malaysia and Indonesia, I had also watched movies in Phuket (Green Lantern, 2011) and Bangalore (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, 2023). Each offered a unique experience and the one in Vientiane was no exception. The movie started 15 minutes earlier and it was rebooted again at 18:30 to cater for the rest of audience! Only in Laos, ladies and gentlemen!

Naem khao for supper. It felt like fried rice with something crispy.

The movie ended at around 9 PM and the mall was closed by the time we were out from the cinema. Called our ride using Loca and, before the night ended, we had our supper and two bottles of Beerlao at Muzaik Restaurant and Bar right across where we stayed. 

And since this was Laos, the next day began very late in the morning as there wasn't a need for the rush. After our breakfast, we returned to our rooms before we started sightseeing. Our first stop was the post office because I had this tradition of sending postcards. From there, we headed to Pha That Luang, a Buddhist stupa in the centre of the city. 

Visiting Pha That Luang.

Vientiane felt hotter than Singapore, so soon after that, we headed to Senses, a high end spa at Crowne Plaza. By the time we were done with relaxation, sun had started setting. We made our way to View Kong for early dinner and another round of Beerlao. There we stayed, busy chasing away the flies as we ate, until the night came and Thailand at the other side of Mekong River lighted up. The night ended with a quick stroll at the Night Market and cocktails at Hard Rock Cafe.

The next day was yet another slow morning. As a matter of fact, given the hot weather, we weren't sure if we wanted to go to the Buddha Park that was located 26 KM away from our hotel. When I showed the map to Bernard, he became convinced that we should go to Nong Khai because the First Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge in Thanaleng was nearer. 

Waiting for the shuttle bus to Thailand.

So we crossed the border and went to Thailand instead. Since Thailand had just implemented the digital arrival card in early May, it took us some time to enter because we had to queue for the computer and fill in the form. For some reasons, Airsim took a while to work, therefore we queued. Luckily it wasn't a busy border. 

Once we passed through the immigration, the atmosphere immediately felt different. Unlike the sleepy Vientiane, Nong Khai felt like a bustling bigger city. We headed to Tha Sadet Market as I'd like to have a glimpse of life on this side of Mekong River. 

At the Thai side of Mekong River.

We walked towards Tha Sadet Pier that used to be a Thai border in Nong Khai and had a tea break there. While we were sitting and enjoying the river view, people came to set up their stalls. Few hours later, the whole stretch turned into Nong Khai Walking Street. We explored the whole area and eventually called Grab to return to the Thai border. 

When we reached Laos, it turned out that I had insufficient fund due to the low balance on my Revolut card. As a result, not only I failed paying for the earlier trip, but I also breached my Loca limit and was unable to hail a ride now. I contacted Loca support via WhatsApp and within minutes, they completed the verification and solved my issue. Very impressive! Something that I didn't expect from Laos.

Back to Laos again.

The final night ended with us hanging out at Hard Rock Cafe yet again. I ordered November Rain for the band to play. The total cost for the night was LAK 842,960, which was equal to SGD 51.47. On average, the conversion rate was about LAK 16,500 per SGD 1. 

The next day, after breakfast, we flew back to Singapore. Looking back, 15 years later, Vientiane still didn't have much to do that we were basically done with it in two days. I'm glad that we made it to Nong Khai spontaneously on the third day! It was something new and exciting!

Crossing to Nong Khai.

Kembali Ke Vientiane

Beberapa tahun silam, ketika saya berada di Glover Garden dan mengagumi sore menjelang senja di Nagasaki, mendadak terpikirkan oleh saya bahwa pemandangan yang saya lihat itu mungkin untuk pertama dan terakhir kalinya. Ya, kota-kota seperti Liverpool, Hiroshima, Nanning and Vientiane, setelah dikunjungi sekali, sepertinya tak ada lagi alasan untuk kembali ke sana. 

Namun dari waktu ke waktu, hidup ini memberikan kesempatan kedua. Setahun silam, teman saya Eday memberikan liburan gratis dan saya akhirnya kembali ke Phuket setelah 13 tahun. Tahun ini ternyata giliran Vientiane. 15 tahun setelah kunjungan saya yang pertama, saya kembali lagi karena Hard Rock Cafe Vientiane. 

Kembali ke Vientiane lagi.

Ada penerbangan langsung sekarang (hanya empat kursi per baris, pertama kali saya lihat yang seperti ini). Dahulu kala, saya harus transit di KL. Ketika saya tiba, ada perasaan déjà vu bahwa saya sudah pernah menjejakkan kaki di Bandara Wattay. Ada rasa nostalgia seakan-akan semua ini terjadi di kehidupan sebelumnya. Lantas Bernard dan saya berfoto di tempat yang sama. 

Dalam perjalanan ke hotel, Vientiane terlihat seperti kota yang terperangkap oleh waktu. Pembangunan selama 15 tahun terakhir tidak mampu mengikis kesan terbelakang yang kentara di ibukota Laos ini. Ya, memang betul kotanya terlihat memiliki beberapa bangunan baru. Sekarang Laos bahkan memiliki Loca dan Loca Pay, teknologi yang serupa dengan Grab dan Alipay. Namun  ketika saya merekam video dan membagikannya pada teman-teman di grup SMA, mereka berpendapat bahwa kotanya mirip dengan Pontianak. 

Hard Rock, dilihat dari Doubletree by Hilton.

Tapi lebih sepi, menurut saya. Dan ide bahwa kampung halaman saya bahkan terasa lebih ramai, sebuah pemikiran yang muncul sejak saya pertama kali ke Laos, masih terasa. Kendati begitu, setidaknya Vientiane bersih dan aman. Dan kita berjalan kaki. Tujuan pertama adalah Hard Rock Cafe yang berada di seberang hotel kita, Doubletree by Hilton. Koleksi kaosnya lebih banyak dari Rock Shop di Tianjin dan New Delhi.

Berdasarkan rute yang dibuat dengan Perplexity AI, kita tidak memiliki acara apa-apa di sore itu, jadi kita pun berjalan ke Major Platinum Cineplex. Selama perjalanan, kita melewati Wat Sisaket yang pernah saya singgahi bersama Benny 15 tahun yang lalu. Di depan saya ada Patuxai, monumen yang menyerupai Arc de Triomphe di Paris. Kemudian ada pula Talat Sao di persimpangan jalan. Satu-satunya plaza saat saya pertama kali ke Vientiane, Talat Sao masih berdiri hari ini, walaupun sudah terlihat kian tidak terawat.  

Bernard kangen dengan Koi in Laos.

Tiba di bioskop, kita seharusnya menonton Thunderbolt* jam 16:20, tapi ternyata filmnya berbahasa lokal. Saya belum siap menyaksikan para pahlawan super berbincang dalam bahasa Thai/Lao, jadi kita memilih pertunjukan jam 18:30 yang berbahasa Inggris. Setelah membeli tiket, kita melihat-lihat di Parkson dan makan di Pizza Company. Satu yang janggal di sini, para pelayannya terlihat seperti masih di bawah umur! 

Selain di Malaysia dan Indonesia, saya juga pernah menonton film di Phuket (Green Lantern, 2011) dan Bangalore (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, 2023). Setiap pengalaman ini unik adanya dan yang di Vientiane pun ada kesan tersendiri. Filmnya mulai 15 menit lebih awal, trus mendadak diulang lagi pada pukul 18:30 untuk para penonton yang baru saja masuk. Hanya di Laos yang ada seperti ini! 

Naem khao, semacam nasi goreng di Laos. Enak juga rasanya.

Film berakhir sekitar jam sembilan malam dan mal sudah tutup tatkala kita keluar dari bioskop. Setelah memanggil jemputan dengan Loca, kita kembali ke hotel dan makan malam plus Beerlao di Muzaik Restaurant and Bar yang terletak di seberang hotel. 

Dan karena ini adalah Laos, aktivitas di hari berikutnya baru dimulai setelah hari menjelang siang. Kita tidak tergesa-gesa di sini. Setelah sarapan, kita bahkan kembali ke kamar untuk bersantai sejenak. Setelah itu barulah kita menuju ke kantor pos. Dari sana, kita lanjut ke Pha That Luang, kuil Budha di tengah kota. 

Mengunjungi Pha That Luang.

Vientiane terasa lebih panas dari Singapura, jadi kita pun berteduh di Senses, spa di Crowne Plaza. Sesudah kita selesai dengan relaksasi, matahari mulai terbenam. Kita mampir ke View Kong untuk makan malam dan satu ronde Beerlao lagi. Sambil makan dan juga sibuk mengusir lalat, kita berada di sana sampai malam tiba dan Thailand yang berada di seberang sungai Mekong menyala terang. Kemudian kita beranjak ke Pasar Malam dan juga koktail di Hard Rock Cafe.

Keesokan paginya pun berjalan lamban. Berhubung cuaca yang panas, kita tidak yakin apakah Buddha Park yang terletak 26 KM jauhnya dari hotel adalah tujuan yang tepat. Ketika saya menunjukkan peta kepada Bernard, dia sepakat bahwa sebaiknya kita ke Nong Khai saja karena Jembatan Persahabatan Thai-Lao Pertama di Thanaleng lebih dekat jaraknya. 

Menunggu bis dari Laos ke Thailand.

Jadi kita pun menyeberang perbatasan dan pergi ke Thailand. Karena Thailand baru memberlakukan kartu kedatangan digital pada awal Mei, kita pun antri komputer untuk mengisi formulir. Airsim tak langsung berfungsi normal di Thailand sehingga saya tak bisa menggunakan ponsel. Untunglah perbatasan Nong Khai tidak tergolong ramai.  

Setelah melewati imigrasi, suasananya terasa berbeda. Berbeda dengan Vientiane yang lamban, Nong Khai lebih terasa seperti kota besar yang aktif. Kita menuju ke Pasar Tha Sadet karena saya ingin melihat bagaimana kehidupan di seberang Laos. 

Di sungai Mekong di bagian Thailand.

Kita berjalan sampai ke Tha Sadet Pier yang dulunya digunakan sebagai perbatasan Thai di Nong Khai dan minum teh sejenak di sana. Ketika kita duduk mengamati, warga setempat mulai berdatangan menyiapkan tempat dagangan mereka. Beberapa jam kemudian, deretan kios bermunculan memadati Nong Khai Walking Street. Kita mengeksplorasi kawasan tersebut dan akhirnya kembali ke perbatasan Thailand dengan Grab. 

Sewaktu tiba di Laos, ternyata saldo saya di kartu Revolut tidak cukup. Alhasil saya gagal membayar transaksi sebelumnya dan saldo saya yang negatif menembus limit Loca sehingga tak lagi bisa memanggil jemputan. Saya lantas hubungi Loca lewat WhatsApp dan dalam hitungan menit, verifikasi selesai dan masalah pun beres. Sungguh mengesankan! Efisiensi tak terduga di Laos. 

Kembali ke Laos again.

Di malam terakhir, kita kembali bersantai di Hard Rock Cafe lagi. Kali ini saya pesan lagu November Rain untuk dimainkan grup lokal yang bermusik di panggung. Total makan dan minum di malam itu adalah LAK 842.960, setara dengan SGD 51,47. Nilai tukar mata uang Laos LAK 16.500 per SGD 1. 

Keesokan paginya, setelah sarapan, kita pulang ke Singapura. Kalau dilihat kembali, tak banyak yang berubah di Vientiane dalam 15 tahun terakhir. Dalam tempo dua hari, kita bisa dikatakan selesai dengan Vientiane. Untung saja kita spontan ke Nong Khai di hari ketiga. Pengalaman ini baru dan seru! 

Menyeberang ke Nong Khai.

11 Hours In Tianjin

I had only one reason to visit Tianjin: Hard Rock Cafe. This had been the plan since the first time I went to Beijing, but timing was an issue then. Learning from the past failure, it was different this round. 

Together with my colleague Fulton, I landed in Beijing two days earlier. This gave me the ample time to enjoy one night in Beijing before heading to Tianjin on the following morning. Departing from Beijing South Railway Station, I arrived in Tianjin about 10 AM. As we had about an hour before Hard Rock opened, we had our breakfast at McDonald's: a bowl of porridge!

At Tianjin Station.

After that, we headed to the metro station, bought our one way ticket and headed to Tianta. The metro station was linked to Luneng CC Plaza and it turned out that Hard Rock Cafe Tianjin was part of the mall. The Rock Shop was tiny and it had only limited selection. It didn't take long for me to get what I came here for. 

As we were paying at the cashier, Fulton figured out that Alipay could be used for metro ticket payment. It is amazing how integrated China is these days! We went for a bit of supermarket browsing, then jumped into the metro to go to Wudadao, which was one of the highlights according to AI.

Visting Minyuan Stadium.

The nearest metro station was still about 15 minutes walk to Wudadao. When we reached there, we only saw Minyuan Stadium. And, well, it was a stadium. The appreciation lasted only for a few seconds before we started wondering what Wudadao actually was. After a quick ice cream waffle, we circled the stadium and saw the map. So Wudadao is apparently a large area encompassing five lanes and housing a lot of colonial buildings. 

It would have taken us the whole afternoon if we really did the sightseeing, so we opted for lunch and left Wudadao instead, haha. On our way out, I saw Post Coffee, a unique combination of coffee stall and post office, similar to the one I saw in Chongqing. I quickly dropped by for a decade old tradition. 

The view from Dagu Bridge.

From Wudadao, AI recommended us to walk along the riverbank. Fulton refined the suggestion by heading to the last subway station before Tianjin Station, then it wouldn't be a long walk and yet we could still explore the riverside a bit. We did a slight detour for Pop Mart at the Tee Mall, then we crossed Dagu Bridge and headed to the Century Clock.

Tianjin Station is next to the clock. It was around 3 PM when we got there and we thought we would reach Beijing in no time. Much to my surprise, the next available tickets were the ones departing at 8.38 PM! Well, either that slot or train rides at later timing. I immediately secured them, then we headed to McDonald's to let the reality sink in. Once we had a break and accepted that we'd be here for another four hours, we decided to make good use of our time and walked towards the Ancient Culture Street.

Fulton explored the Ancient Culture Street.

It took us about an hour of walking at the riverside before reaching our destination. The experience somehow reminded me of Shanghai. It might be the river, I reckon. And I suddenly had a fatigue. It's like, after visiting four China cities in one year, Tianjin as the fifth one somehow looked pretty similar. 

And exploring the Ancient Culture Street clearly didn't help. It only enhanced the impression that cities in China are basically having the same layout: high rises buildings, the long and winding river, ancient street or town for tourists. After one round, we hopped onto the subway and returned to the train station. The last meal I had was spicy! But my last memory of Tianjin? Our business class seats! 

Fulton grinning on his business class seat.

11 jam Di Tianjin

Saya cuma memiliki satu alasan untuk mengunjungi Tianjin: Hard Rock Cafe. Ini sudah menjadi rencana saya sejak kunjungan pertama ke Beijing, tapi ternyata ada kendala waktu. Belajar dari pengalaman tersebut, kali ini beda pengaturannya. 

Bersama kolega saya Fulton, saya mendarat di Beijing dua hari lebih awal. Dengan demikian saya memiliki banyak waktu sebelum berangkat ke Tianjin pada keesokan paginya. Dari Beijing South Railway Station, saya tiba di Tianjin kira-kira jam 10 pagi. Karena masih ada satu jam sebelum Hard Rock buka, kita makan pagi di McDonald's: semangkuk bubur dan kopi pahit!

Di Stasiun Tianjin.

Setelah itu, kita naik metro menuju Tianta. Stasiun metro ini tersambung ke Luneng CC Plaza. Hard Rock Cafe Tianjin ternyata merupakan bagian dari mal. Rock Shop-nya mungil dan terbatas koleksinya. Tak butuh waktu lama untuk mendapatkan apa yang saya mau. 

Selagi kita melakukan pembayaran di kasir, Fulton menemukan bahwa Alipay bisa digunakan untuk membayar metro. Integrasi sistem di Cina memang luar biasa! Setelah mampir sejenak ke supermarket, kita kembali menaiki metro menuju Wudadao, salah satu destinasi turis menurut AI. 

Mengunjungi Minyuan Stadium.

Stasiun metro terdekat masih berjarak sekitar 15 menit berjalan kaki ke Wudadao. Saat tiba di sana, yang kita lihat hanyalah Minyuan Stadium. Dan, berhubung ini cuma stadion, apresiasi kita luntur dalam beberapa detik. Jadi Wudadao itu sebenarnya apa? Saya beli es krim sejenak, lalu kita berjalan mengitari stadion dan menemukan peta. Di situ terlihat bahwa Wudadao adalah sebuah kawasan lima jalur yang memiliki banyak bangunan peninggalan zaman kolonial. 

Butuh setengah hari bila kita hendak melihat semuanya, jadi kita memilih makan siang dan pergi, haha. Dalam perjalanan keluar, saya melihat Post Coffee, kombinasi warung kopi dan kantor pos, mirip seperti yang saya lihat di Chongqing. Saya lekas mampir menunaikan tradisi. 

Pemandangan dari Dagu Bridge.

Dari Wudadao, AI menganjurkan agar kita berjalan di samping sungai. Fulton menyarankan bahwa sebaiknya kita naik metro dulu sampai ke pemberhentian terakhir sebelum Stasiun Tianjin, baru jalan dari situ sehingga tidak terlalu jauh. Menuruti usulnya, kita juga sempat singgah sebentar ke Pop Mart di Tee Mall, lalu berjalan melewati Dagu Bridge dan menuju ke Century Clock.

Tianjin Station berada tepat di samping Century Clock. Jam sudah menunjukkan pukul tiga sore saat kita sampai di sana. Berjalan santai menuju loket, saya sudah membayangkan bahwa kita akan segera tiba di Beijing. Siapa sangka tiket berikutnya adalah jam 8:38 malam? Pilihan kita cuma itu atau yang lebih malam lagi. Saya lekas membeli, kemudian kita duduk sejenak di McDonald's untuk meresapi kejutan yang baru saja terjadi. Setelah menerima kenyataan bahwa kita masih akan luntang-lantung di Tianjin selama empat jam, kita memanfaatkan waktu kita untuk mengunjungi Ancient Culture Street.

Di Ancient Culture Street.

Kita berjalan di samping sungai sekitar sejam lamanya sebelum mencapai destinasi. Pengalaman ini entah kenapa mengingatkan saya pada Shanghai. Mungkin karena sungainya. Dan mendadak saya merasa lelah dengan Cina. Rasanya seperti, setelah mengunjungi empat kota Cina dalam setahun, Tianjin sebagai kota ke-lima terlihat sama saja. 

Dan eksplorasi di Ancient Culture Street tidak membantu. Keberadaan kita di sana yang menguatkan kesan bahwa kota-kota di Cina memiliki tata kota yang sama: gedung-gedung tinggi, sungai yang panjang dan berkelok, kota lama atau jalan kuno untuk turis. Setelah satu putaran, kita naik metro dan kembali ke stasiun kereta. Makan malam saya terasa pedas nian. Tapi kenangan saya yang terakhir di Tianjin? Kursi kelas bisnis di kereta! 

Fulton tersenyum di kursi kelas bisnis.

Mega Man

Some days began with innocent wishes. About three weeks ago, right before the Seremban trip, it was like, "hmm, I haven't listened to the Mega Man soundtrack for a really, really long while. How about a little bit of it to start the morning?" And it turned out to be a blast from the past. As I walked to the bus stop, images from distant memories appeared in my head.

It was nostalgic. And for a good reason. I was listening to Mega Man 2 OST, the one that really started it all for me: good music, good game play, bigger and better. But in order to understand this, let me bring you back to Pontianak in the late 80s. 

We were young then and we were at the dawn of Nintendo Entertainment System. Every now and then, we'd have something new that was game-changing, pun intended. After Super Mario Bros and the Legend of Zelda, came Rockman. Yes, in the pre-internet world, we only knew the Blue Bomber as Rockman. And the first release wasn't exactly great. In hindsight, it was one of the most difficult entry in the original series!

It was still the first, though. It laid the foundation. It gave us iconic characters such as Cut Man or Guts Man. By the time Capcom came back with Rockman 2, they made it so much better that it became the default version of anything Mega Man to me: more bosses, from 6 to 8; a game long enough that I could call it an adventure; a difficulty level that I could handle; cool weapons that would became the template of subsequent games; and of course the music.

Yes, Mega Man 3 did introduce the sliding ability and Mega Man 4 got me standing in awe at Ligo Mitra, a local supermarket in Pontianak, because of the new ability called Charge Shot (and I bought the cartridge after saving enough money). However, it was Mega Man 2 that made me fall in love. 

It was through that game I became a fan, charging forward as Mega Man, combating the likes of Metal Man, Wood Man and more, accompanied by the electrifying music that got me going. The final battle against Dr. Wily was unforgettable. Players could only use Bubble Lead, the lamest but only weapon that worked!

If there were times in your childhood that made you feel like you were a hero fighting the evil force in order to save the world, this was the definitely one of the moments. The soundtrack resonated with this memory, forever securing Mega Man a spot in my life... 

Mega Man in action!

Rockman

Terkadang ada hari yang bermula dengan keinginan yang polos. Kira-kira tiga minggu lalu, sebelum liburan ke Seremban, saya tiba-tiba kepikiran, "sudah lama saya tidak mendengar musik Rockman. Bagaimana kalau saya putar sejenak?" Dan dampaknya bagaikan kilasan masa lalu. Sewaktu saya berjalan ke halte bis, aneka kenangan berkelebat di benak saya. 

Saya terbuai nostalgia saat mendengarkan musik Rockman 2, game yang memulai segalanya: bagus musiknya, seru pula game-nya. Untuk memahami deskripsi ini, mari saya bawa anda kembali ke Pontianak di akhir tahun 80an. 

Generasi saya masih muda pada saat itu dan kita tepat berada di permulaan hebohnya Nintendo. Setiap beberapa bulan, kita akan dengar game yang populer dan terkini. Setelah Super Mario Bros dan the Legend of Zelda, muncullah Rockman. Ya, di dunia sebelum internet, kita cuma mengenalnya sebagai Rockman, bukan Mega Man. Dan episode pertama dari serial Rockman ini terkenal sebagai salah satu yang paling sulit! 

Kendati begitu, sebagai game pertama, Rockman 1 menjadi fondasi bagi episode berikutnya. Dari game ini lahir pula karakter-karakter yang populer seperti Cut Man dan Guts Man. Di saat Capcom kembali dengan Rockman 2, hasilnya jauh lebih bagus dan menjadi versi yang paling saya sukai: bosnya bertambah, dari 6 menjadi 8; game-nya cukup panjang untuk sebuah petualangan; tingkat kesulitannya tidak membuat frustrasi; delapan senjata yang diperoleh dari bos pun menjadi standar bagi game berikutnya; dan tentu saja musiknya.

Ya, Rockman 3 memperkenalkan aksi selancar dan Rockman 4 membuat saya terpukau, tanpa sadar berdiri di samping etalase Ligo Mitra, melihat anak pemilik supermarket mengontrol Rockman menghimpun energi sebelum menembakkan Charge Shot (dan saya membeli game tersebut setelah uang tabungan saya cukup). Namun yang membuat saya jatuh cinta tetaplah Rockman 2.

Lewat game ini, saya menjadi penggemar, menerobos marabahaya sebagai Rockman, melawan musuh seperti Metal Man, Wood Man dan lain-lain, diiringi dengan musik yang saya ingat hingga hari ini. Pertarungan terakhir dengan Dr. Wily juga tak terlupakan. Sebagai Rockman, saya yang bisa menggunakan Bubble Lead, senjata gelembung yang lemah tapi satu-satunya yang berfungsi! 

Jika ada kenangan masa kecil yang membuat anda merasa seperti pahlawan memberantas kejahatan demi menyelamatkan dunia, ini ada salah satunya! Dan musik yang melantun di telinga saya ini membuat saya teringat lagi dengan kenangan tersebut, selamanya mengabadikan Rockman sebagai bagian dari hidup saya... 

The Budget Airline

This story was inspired by a moment I experienced at the end of the Seremban trip. I was inside the plane, waiting for it to depart from KLIA. As I browsed the shopping magazine, I saw a t-shirt with a tagline that caught my attention: Seek adventure. Now everyone can fly. Since 2001.

How it rang true. Before AirAsia, it was a different time. Flying was a luxury in the late 90s. There was a time when my friends and I had to take Lawit, a passenger ship that sailed for four days three nights from Pontianak to Jakarta. It was the cheapest option then. 

My first encounter with AirAsia wasn't exactly a pleasant one. I first heard of it in 2005 from Yani when we worked together at Kalbe Farma. She told me about the IDR 0 promo. As online booking was so new then, I didn't know how it worked. I kept clicking next and entered my credit card number unsuspectingly. Lo and behold, I actually paid the full price instead! So off I went to Bali by myself. 

Only God knows how many times I had taken AirAsia since then. The memorable ones, such as trip to Laos, usually departed from KL. The furthest route I took, from KL to Hangzhou, was the AirAsia X flight. The last one before COVID-19 was the flight from Pontianak to Bangkok, with an overnight stay at KLIA. The rather unusual one was the flight to Bandar Seri Begawan in 2009. I flew from Johor Bahru and transit in Kota Kinabalu. Managed to see the town before I resumed my flight to Brunei.

Looking back, it'd been 20 years since I boarded my first AirAsia flight. While budget airlines may seem common now, AirAsia was revolutionary back when all this started. It was a game changer, that flying was no longer out of reach. AirAsia enabled people like me to see the world. That's when I called the steward, telling him that I needed the t-shirt that had just inspired me...

Seek adventure!
Photo by Linda Emily

Maskapai Penerbangan Murah

Cerita ini terinspirasi dari apa yang saya lihat di penghujung liburan ke Seremban. Saat itu saya berada di dalam pesawat, menanti lepas landas di KLIA. Selagi saya membolak-balik majalah, tiba-tiba saya melihat kaos dengan tulisan yang menarik perhatian saya: Seek adventure. Now everyone can fly. Since 2001.

Betapa benarnya kalimat tersebut. Dunia sebelum AirAsia adalah masa yang berbeda. Bisa naik pesawat adalah sebuah kemewahan tersendiri di akhir tahun 90an. Saat itu, saya dan teman-teman harus naik Lawit, kapal yang mengarungi laut selama empat hari tiga malam, hanya untuk bepergian dari Pontianak ke Jakarta. Itu adalah pilihan paling murah di zaman itu. 

Interaksi saya yang pertama dengan AirAsia sangat berkesan, tapi kurang menyenangkan. Kala itu tahun 2005 dan saya mendengar nama maskapai ini dari Yani, saat kita sama-sama bekerja di Kalbe Farma. Waktu itu dia bercerita tentang promo Rp. 0. Karena sistem pembelian tiket secara online masih baru, saya tidak paham cara kerjanya. Saya isi setiap bagian yang kosong, termasuk data kartu kredit, lalu klik next sampai usai. Siapa sangka tiket terbeli sesuai dengan harga yang tertera? Akhirnya saya pun ke Bali seorang diri.  

Sejak itu, entah berapa sering sudah saya menaiki AirAsia. Yang berkesan, misalnya perjalanan ke Laos, biasanya lewat KL. Rute saya yang terjauh, dari KL ke Hangzhou, dilayani oleh AirAsia X. Penerbangan saya yang terakhir sebelum COVID-19 melanda adalah rute Pontianak ke Bangkok, plus satu malam menginap di KLIA. Yang sedikit berbeda adalah petualangan Bandar Seri Begawan di tahun 2009. Saya terbang dari Johor Bahru dan transit dulu di Kota Kinabalu. Setelah berjalan-jalan sejenak, barulah saya lanjut ke Brunei.

20 tahun sudah berlalu sejak saya pertama kali menaiki pesawat AirAsia. Penerbangan murah mungkin terlihat lumrah sekarang, tapi AirAsia sangatlah revolusioner sewaktu semua ini bermula. AirAsia mengubah situasi pada saat itu dan memungkinkan orang-orang seperti saya untuk melihat dunia. Tersentak dari lamunan saat pramugara lewat di samping, saya pun memanggil dan berkata padanya bahwa saya perlu kaos yang baru saja membuat saya terinspirasi...

The Seremban Trip

I think it's fair to say that the Seremban trip began right at the tail end of the Pontian noodles trip in August 2024. We were at Johor Bahru City Square when I found a Negeri Sembilan postcard. I was telling Surianto that, "well, looks like we have to go to Seremban now."

So a plan was made. Nobody I know ever went to Seremban for holiday before. Further investigation using AI only confirmed that the sightseeing destination and food in Seremban could only sustain us for half a day. But at the same time, Seremban is not exactly far from Kota Kemuning.

The postcard that started the trip.
Photo by Linda Emily.

That's why the trip commenced with a bus ride. We had all the time to waste to compensate to make up for the little sightseeing we would do in Seremban. Then we'd go to meet Wiwi for breakfast. Months later, I also learnt that I could continue our way to Genting for a quick visit to buy the Hard Rock Cafe t-shirt. After a night in KL, we would fly back to Singapore. This trip was going to be packed with togetherness and adventures!

From then onwards, and especially after my India trip, the name Seremban appeared incessantly in our group chat. More often than not, it was either me or Jimmy asking people to join. If it was me, then I was simply gathering friends for a short togetherness. If it was Jimmy, it had to be a not-so-subtle mockery. Can't blame him, though. Because you had to be crazy enough to go where people don't go!

The departure.
Photo by Surianto.

In the end, only some of the regulars who had trusted Robinson Travel enough that joined willingly. Surianto, Cicilia and Taty, long time members since the Japan trip, boarded the bus at the Golden Mile Tower with me. Off we went to Seremban. About 5.5 hours later, we dropped off across Terminal 1. We were officially in Seremban!

First thing first, we went to our hotel and checked in. Then we headed to Quinn (Seremban Beef Noodles) for late lunch. If look can be deceiving, this unassuming eatery certainly fits the profile. The beef noodles was soft and tasty. A godsend to my liking! I personally loved it very much. As a comparison, if Hock Lam Beef in Singapore was good, then this one was way better!

Seremban beef noodles.

It was raining before and after our meal, so we got stuck at Palm Mall instead. Nothing special there, so we hopped onto Grab and went to Empayar Seremban Siew Paw. We shopped a bit, then quickly headed to Haji Shariff Cendol. Too bad, it was already closed when we got there, so we resumed our journey to Lorong Seni Seremban. 

After paying our homage to Abbey Road, we entered Lorong Seni. This area is covered with murals, quite similar to those you'd find in Chinatown Singapore, so pictures were taken there. The other end of the tunnel led us to Dataran Seremban, a landmark with the words SEREMBAN N9 on the grass patch. From there, we walked to Taman Tasik Seremban that was located next to our hotel. The night was ended with a dinner at TC Keong. 

Visiting Taman Tasik Seremban.
Photo by Angela Baby.

By then, we were basically done with Seremban. The next morning, we made our way to Kota Kemuning. After a short visit to Wiwi's house, we had breakfast at Samy and Min Bak Kut Teh. Good stuff, especially the dry bak kut. Then, much to Wiwi's surprise, her husband actually encouraged her to join us to Genting Highlands.

Thus began our ride to the mountaintop. I actually didn't realize that Rock Shop is not located in the main compound, but adjacent to it. But since we were already there, we explored a bit and that's when Surianto's beginner's luck won him some casino chips. Only after that we went to the tiniest Rock Shop I had ever seen so far. 

In Genting. Not very far from Rock Shop.

On our way down, we stopped at the Premium Outlet. Never a fan of shopping, I soon found myself sitting at Coffee Bean, enjoying ice blended coffee and ondeh cake. Both were equally sweet! When they were done, we went to the city and checked into our hotel. 

For dinner, we decided to visit Jalan Alor. Wiwi wasn't exactly a great host in KL as she didn't know much about public transport and the tourist area. Instead of being our guide, she joined us and became a tourist as well, haha. The food at Cu Cha Restaurant was decent. Good to eat the mud creeper snails again.

Jalan Alor.
Photo by Angela Baby.

We joined the crowd for sightseeing on Jalan Alor afterwards. It is amazing how crowded the first half of the street was! We made a U-turn when we reached the end, then walked towards Wiwi's car. Her husband had bought Musang King durian for my friends to enjoy. I stayed away from it because it doesn't matter if it is the king of fruits. To me, it was as smelly as it used to be. That horrible smell that got me running away when I was three years old! A good glass of tea c then finally ended both the night and Wiwi's worst nightmare of being remembered as the host who didn't serve tea c. 

The next morning, Surianto was keen on going to Batu Caves, but not before he persistently rang the door bell and woke me up as he forgot something. Few hours later, the rest of us were in the largely inactive Bazaar Baru Chow Kit. It was Hari Raya, so almost all the stalls were not open for business. 

At Bazaar Baru Chow Kit. 

As we looked around, I recalled what Wiwi said the night before, as we walked towards the monorail station. This area has a big Indonesian muslim population, hence the Nusantara food from nasi Padang to ayam penyet. That brought me back to the time when Surianto and I decided to book a hotel in Chow Kit to find out what's there. Now we know the answer. 

After check out, Cicilia moved to another hotel in Bukit Bintang as she is staying for another night before heading to Ipoh. As for Taty and I, we went to KLIA via KL Sentral. We had Uncle Roger's Fried Rice because I had to review it for Fried Rice Mania. Surianto joined us there and we eventually flew back to Singapore.

Uncle Roger's Egg Fried Rice.

Liburan Ke Seremban 

Saya rasa bisa dikatakan bahwa liburan ke Seremban mulai dicetuskan di akhir liburan ke Pontian di bulan Agustus 2024. Saat itu kita berada di Johor Bahru City Square dan saya menemukan kartu pos Negeri Sembilan. Saya lalu berkata pada Surianto, "wah, sepertinya kita harus ke Seremban sekarang."

Jadi rencana pun digarap. Setahu saya, rasanya tidak ada kenalan yang pernah ke Seremban untuk berlibur. Setelah saya cek dengan AI, sepertinya tempat wisata dan makanan Seremban hanya bisa menarik perhatian kita selama setengah hari. Tapi di satu sisi, Kota Kemuning tidaklah jauh dari Seremban. 

Kartu pos yang memicu liburan ke Seremban.
Foto oleh Linda.

Jadi inilah alasannya kenapa perjalanan dimulai dengan bis. Kita punya banyak waktu untuk menempuh perjalanan darat karena tak banyak yang bisa dilihat di Seremban. Setelah itu kita bisa sarapan pagi dengan Wiwi. Beberapa bulan kemudian, saya menyadari bahwa telah dibuka Rock Shop di Genting, jadi kita bisa ke sana juga. Setelah bermalam di KL, kita bisa pulang keesokan harinya dengan pesawat. Liburan kali ini akan dipadati dengan kebersamaan dan petualangan! 

Sejak itu, dan terutama setelah kepulangan saya dari India, nama Seremban dikumandangkan terus-menerus di grup SMA, biasanya oleh saya atau Jimmy. Bilamana saya yang berkoar-koar, ya karena saya suka berjalan-jalan dan berkumpul. Kalau Jimmy yang mengajak, biasanya cenderung karena olok-olok. Tapi keisengannya bisa dimengerti. Hanya yang sepaham dalam hal jalan-jalan dan kebersamaan yang akan pergi ke tempat yang bukan destinasi turis. 

Saat keberangkatan, foto ala Ghibli.

Pada akhirnya, hanya beberapa anggota lama yang sudah percaya dengan Robinson Travel yang turut serta. Surianto, Cicilia dan Taty, para anggota yang sudah turut serta dari sejak liburan ke Jepang, bersama-sama naik bis di Golden Mile Tower. Pergilah kita ke Seremban. 5,5 jam kemudian, kita turun di seberang Terminal 1. Akhirnya kita tiba! 

Pertama-tama, kita ke hotel dulu, lalu menuju ke Quinn (Seremban Beef Noodles) untuk makan siang menjelang malam. Jika penampilan bisa mengecoh, maka tempat makan ini adalah salah satunya. Mie sapinya lembut dan lezat. Benar-benar sesuai selera saya. Sebagai perbandingan, Hock Lam Beef di Singapura memang enak, namun yang ini jauh lebih lezat! 

Mie sapi Seremban.

Hujan turun sebelum dan sesudah kita bersantap, jadi kita pun berteduh di Palm Mall. Tidak ada yang istimewa di sini, jadi kita pun memanggil Grab dan melaju ke Empayar Seremban Siew Paw untuk berbelanja sejenak di sini, lalu lanjut lagi ke Haji Shariff Cendol. Akan tetapi kedai cendol ini tutup lebih awal, jadi kita berjalan ke Lorong Seni Seremban. 

Setelah menyeberang jalan dengan gaya Abbey Road, kita memasuki Lorong Seni. Kawasan ini memiliki banyak mural dan konsepnya mirip seperti yang bisa kita temukan di Chinatown Singapura. Ujung lorong ini mengarah ke Dataran Seremban yang memiliki tulisan SEREMBAN N9 di lapangan rumput. Dari sana, kita berjalan ke Taman Tasik Seremban yang bersebelahan dengan hotel kita. Malam tersebut pun berakhir dengan makan malam di TC Keong. 

Mengunjungi Taman Tasik Seremban.
Foto oleh Angela Baby.

Setelah itu, boleh dikatakan Seremban pun usai. Keesokan paginya, kita naik Grab ke Kota Kemuning. Setelah kunjungan singkat ke rumah Wiwi, kita sarapan pagi di Samy and Min Bak Kut Teh. Makanannya mantap, terutama bak kut kering. Setelah itu, suami Wiwi mengusulkan agar Wiwi turut ikut ke Genting. 

Lantas mulailah perjalanan ke puncak gunung. Saya berasumsi bahwa Rock Shop berada di kompleks yang sama, tapi ternyata lokasinya di hotel baru yang berjarak sekitar 15 menit jauhnya. Karena sudah terlanjur berada di situ, kita eksplorasi sejenak dan Surianto yang pertama kali mencoba peruntungan di kasino pun menang beberapa ratus ringgit. Setelah itu barulah kita pergi ke Rock Shop paling mungil yang pernah saya lihat sejauh ini. 

Di Genting. Tak jauh dari Rock Shop.

Ketika kita turun, kita mampir di Premium Outlet. Karena bukan orang yang suka berbelanja, saya icip-icip makanan dan minuman yang manis di Coffee Bean. Setelah mereka usai melihat-lihat dan berbelanja, kita lantas kembali ke kota dan menuju hotel. 

Untuk makan malam, kita mengunjungi Jalan Alor. Wiwi tidak berkutik di KL karena dia tidak paham transportasi umum dan Bukit Bintang. Bukannya jadi pemandu, dia akhirnya malah jadi turis bersama kita, haha. Makanan di Cu Cha Restaurant lumayan rasanya. Sedap rasanya bisa sedot-sedot kerang tengkuyung lagi. 

Jalan Alor.
Foto oleh Angela Baby.

Sesudah makan, kita sempat bergabung dalam keramaian dan menikmati suasana di Jalan Alor. Takjub juga dengan ramainya wisatawan yang berlalu-lalang! Kita berbalik arah setelah sampai di ujung jalan, lalu menuju ke mobil Wiwi. Suaminya membeli durian Musang King untuk teman-teman. Saya sendiri refleks menjauh karena raja buah atau bukan, baunya tetap sebusuk yang saya ingat sejak berumur tiga tahun. Satu gelas teh c akhirnya mengakhir malam dan juga kecemasan Wiwi yang tidak ingin dikenang sebagai tuan rumah yang gagal menyediakan teh c. 

Keesokan paginya, Surianto pergi ke Gua Batu, tapi dia lupa sesuatu dan terus membunyikan bel pintu sampai saya terbangun. Beberapa jam kemudian, kita berjalan menyusuri Bazaar Baru Chow Kit yang nyaris tidak ada ada aktivitas. Berhubung hari tersebut adalah hari pertama Lebaran, hampir semua kios tutup.  

Di Bazaar Baru Chow Kit. 

Setelah saya amati, saya ingat apa yang dikatakan Wiwi di malam sebelumnya, sewaktu kita berjalan menuju stasiun monorel. Kawasan ini memiliki populasi muslim Indonesia yang sangat besar, makanya ada banyak makanan Nusantara seperti nasi Padang dan ayam penyet. Saya jadi teringat saat saya dan Surianto memutuskan untuk tinggal di Chow Kit karena ingin mencari tahu tentang kawasan yang masih asing bagi kita ini. Sekarang kita tahu jawabannya. 

Setelah keluar dari hotel, Cicilia pindah ke hotel lain di Bukit Bintang karena dia masih bermalam lagi di KL sebelum berangkat ke Ipoh. Taty dan saya lanjut ke KLIA lewat KL Sentral. Kita sempat menyantap Nasi Goreng Paman Roger karena saya ingin mengulasnya di laman FB Fried Rice Mania. Surianto yang sudah tiba di bandara juga memesan satu porsi. Pada akhirnya kita pun terbang pulang ke Singapura... 

Nasi Goreng Telur Paman Roger.