Back in Jakarta
I'm home now. Last night I got home to an empty house, since my brother is still in Bali. The flight was... cold. With turbulence through 60% of the journey due to bad weather. We didn't even transit in Singapore because of the weather, I think.
The immigration people at Soekarno-Hatta Airport aren't the friendliest people of the bunch, and I'd like to sock one of them actually, for badgering me to show my passport after I already have my baggage, ready to get out, already far away past the immigration checkpoint. He insisted and blocked my way, wanting to check whether I'm a labour worker or not (Indonesians, read : TKI/W). After he saw my passport, he didn't even apologize for the manner he badgered me. Seriously, what happened to the 'Indonesians are friendly people' motto? I envy how other immigration officers in other countries are required to say "welcome home" to people who has just returned from abroad. Maybe it's a fake sentiment from their behalf, but people who are happy to just get back from a journey would be happy to hear it anyway and take it as a form of sincereness. I feel that the immigration officials here are pretty demeaning towards people entering or leaving the country. I guess many of them get off from having the illusion of control by bullying people. Their treatment towards the labour workers are also demeaning. I've heard stories of how they actually con these people in giving them money, by saying they have to pay taxes and stuff. I know there are taxes that have to be paid, but I'm talking about unofficial illegal 'taxes' here. I'm still furious for not giving that immigration officer a tongue lashing or two, but I my late reactions towards these things actually saves me from not making a commotion of assaulting officials. It's not right what they're doing, but I believe karma will slowly but surely creep up on them, heh.
I had a great time in Germany, though, so I guess all the beuracrazy hassles was worth it. LJ ate my Berlin post (or dark_toothfairy might say that I accidentally deleted it because of the German LJ settings) so I guess I'll say again how Elisabeth the musical was great! We got the second lead cast, the younger cast, instead of Uwe Kroeger and Pia Douwes, but the were also very good! I love how Death was portrayed as a narcissistic supermodel pretty boy. He and Ayaki Nao's Death should have a showdown in that department. The singing was great and the changes to accommodate the small stage worked well. I was a bit disappointed of how they didn't have the turn-table for the Madame Wolf Collection scene, but I can understand why, small stage after all. But I love that they kept the bridge. I love that bridge!
Aside from Elisabeth, we also had a great time sightseeing in Berlin, with kugelfischli as our tour guide. And in the middle of all the sightseeing in the Koln-Bonn-Dusseldorf area, we also had shiny fun with mizukusa (McD 1000m ahead :P). Thank you for your kindness, girls! It was a pleasure!
Now I have to get used to hearing honking cars in the Jakarta traffic jam again. Fun! Actually, I'm meeting up with my friends in a few hours at Sushi Tei PIM. I miss the salmon sashimi there. But right now a sick friend is sleeping on my bed and I'm tending to her. We already brought her to the doctor at my regular clinic earlier, now we're waiting for the blood test. Some other friends are getting her clothes, just in case she actually have to stay at the hospital for a few days.
The immigration people at Soekarno-Hatta Airport aren't the friendliest people of the bunch, and I'd like to sock one of them actually, for badgering me to show my passport after I already have my baggage, ready to get out, already far away past the immigration checkpoint. He insisted and blocked my way, wanting to check whether I'm a labour worker or not (Indonesians, read : TKI/W). After he saw my passport, he didn't even apologize for the manner he badgered me. Seriously, what happened to the 'Indonesians are friendly people' motto? I envy how other immigration officers in other countries are required to say "welcome home" to people who has just returned from abroad. Maybe it's a fake sentiment from their behalf, but people who are happy to just get back from a journey would be happy to hear it anyway and take it as a form of sincereness. I feel that the immigration officials here are pretty demeaning towards people entering or leaving the country. I guess many of them get off from having the illusion of control by bullying people. Their treatment towards the labour workers are also demeaning. I've heard stories of how they actually con these people in giving them money, by saying they have to pay taxes and stuff. I know there are taxes that have to be paid, but I'm talking about unofficial illegal 'taxes' here. I'm still furious for not giving that immigration officer a tongue lashing or two, but I my late reactions towards these things actually saves me from not making a commotion of assaulting officials. It's not right what they're doing, but I believe karma will slowly but surely creep up on them, heh.
I had a great time in Germany, though, so I guess all the beuracrazy hassles was worth it. LJ ate my Berlin post (or dark_toothfairy might say that I accidentally deleted it because of the German LJ settings) so I guess I'll say again how Elisabeth the musical was great! We got the second lead cast, the younger cast, instead of Uwe Kroeger and Pia Douwes, but the were also very good! I love how Death was portrayed as a narcissistic supermodel pretty boy. He and Ayaki Nao's Death should have a showdown in that department. The singing was great and the changes to accommodate the small stage worked well. I was a bit disappointed of how they didn't have the turn-table for the Madame Wolf Collection scene, but I can understand why, small stage after all. But I love that they kept the bridge. I love that bridge!
Aside from Elisabeth, we also had a great time sightseeing in Berlin, with kugelfischli as our tour guide. And in the middle of all the sightseeing in the Koln-Bonn-Dusseldorf area, we also had shiny fun with mizukusa (McD 1000m ahead :P). Thank you for your kindness, girls! It was a pleasure!
Now I have to get used to hearing honking cars in the Jakarta traffic jam again. Fun! Actually, I'm meeting up with my friends in a few hours at Sushi Tei PIM. I miss the salmon sashimi there. But right now a sick friend is sleeping on my bed and I'm tending to her. We already brought her to the doctor at my regular clinic earlier, now we're waiting for the blood test. Some other friends are getting her clothes, just in case she actually have to stay at the hospital for a few days.