Travel Story: Jakarta's Mobile Barista

Jakarta has never appealed to me as a vacation destination. I never thought there was anything interesting there for me. My dad was a frequent visitor to Jakarta, mostly for business. Heard so much about Jakarta from him. But still not convinced!

So, when boredom set upon me one day last year, I decided to give Jakarta the chance to show what it has to offer me...

I checked into a premium hotel just two doors away from Jakarta's only 24-hour Starbucks. And eagerly awaited to see what unfolds...

The next morning, I stumbled upon something I don't see in my native country...


There she goes...

Move over, Rocket Man mobile backpack coffee dispenser! Here comes Jakarta's a la carte mobile barista!

More about Jakarta's "coffee-on-demand" mobile kiosks in a later entry!






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Travel Sights: Seriously Severe!

Once in a while, I come across names and signboards that make more sense than what is obvious... And at times, I just laugh because they make no sense at all!

Spotted this lingerie shop somewhere in Mendrisio, Switzerland:

Pa-what?...



Parah in my national language means severe, like, severe injury... LOL!






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Travel Sights: Walkway Biscuits

You may have walked a thousand miles in a city... but do know it inside out? When you looked around, you would have looked up, too...

But have you looked down?

Early morning buzz on a Parisian street...

Have you noticed those metal "shields" that popped up every now and then as you walked?

They are manhole covers... and they have little stories of their own to tell...

Some are round, others are square or rectangular... Some are cast-iron, others are concrete... But they all come in various sizes! And colours!



A rectangular one in Como, northern Italy...

We trampled over them, some even spat at them unknowingly... And some had their heels stuck in their gaps!


This one must have been here since they first set foot on the island of Mykonos.

Nicknamed "biscuits", these manhole covers are to prevent us passers-by from falling into deep, dark, labyrinth-like networks of tunnels... They hide passages to sewage chutes, gas pipes, and drainage trunks away from our prying eyes.

I always find them fascinating... I can spend hours tracking each one down and photographing them... I like how they put in some elements of design to make them functionally presentable... They look like pieces of artwork intentionally embedded into our walkways as if to make the streets look decorated...

But above all, they are a testimony of what have been laid under, sometimes decades ago... And in London, it isn't difficult to see one which could easily date back to the reign of Queen Victoria...

They have been some which are so cute-looking; and as they dot the street, they look like a handsome string of shirt buttons from afar...

A cute small one...






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Travel Sights: Batik Juice, anyone?

In marketing, clever branding is an essential attribute to good positioning... It's all in the name, and how else can you be identified easily, if not by your name?

Spotted in a supermart in Milano's Stazione Centrale... a drinks range called BATIK...


Recycled juice?

Hope this is not batik dye packed as a beverage! LOL!


* Batik is a Javanese wax-resist dyeing technique.






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Travel Story: Sit back, relax and enjoy a Starbucks Coffee!

In all my almost-30 years of air travel, I have been extremely lucky to have most of my flights either taking off or landing on time. A trip to Jakarta on a budget airliner last year started my history of delayed flights...

When Eyjafjallajökull decided to erupt mid-April 2010, I was worried of having to cancel my Europe trip! At best, I was told, to expect a considerable amount of delays... And when departure day came, I was overjoyed as Eyjafjallajökull had decided to let me fly! So there I was, in Europe.

Then trouble struck. We were all already seated in the plane heading for Mykonos when the captain announced that we had to defer take off... some oil-drip situation on the wing, he said...

But the one hour delay (trapped in the plane!) was soon forgiven, when they started carting out refreshments...


My Colombia roast, from coast to coast!

There's nothing like having a freshly-brewed Starbucks to calm those nerves...

Several airlines have started serving Starbucks on board for a while now... Had always wanted to try them. Finally did!






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Travel Sights: Knockin' on heaven's doors...

Among the things I always look out for when I travel are door knockers and door knobs... or any door adornment... I find them to be intriguing, and they say something about the person who lives behind the door...


Typical window and door of Mykonos...

Early-day door knockers were made from iron, and as their designs got more intricate, metal smiths resorted to using chrome... Not only are chrome knockers easier to shape, chrome is capable of giving a unique gleam to them as well...


A design based on the Medusa-head...





Too bad, in this modern age, electricity has edged out such beautiful work of art... Door bells are preferred over manual knockers mainly because the bell chime mechanism can be placed anywhere convenient in the house - making it more audible at a distance...




If anything, a knocker is also handy in place of a door knob or handle. Olden day door latches were just that - latches, with no means of allowing a good grip to guide the door. Hence the need of a door knocker to act as a door handle.


Something more modern...





The beauty about having a handle or knob on the door is, it negates the need to push the door with your palms, which often leaves very undesirable grease marks... It also allows you to pull the door without holding its edge, preventing finger injuries as the door closes.

Safety aside, the mere beauty of these door knockers, handles and knobs make them such objects of desires... And as rare as any antique can be, some are a bit harder to spot...





Beautiful is a woman who's smart in accessorizing her appearance... The same applies to doors - those monumental shields that guard the entrance of your secure abode...








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Travel Sights: Modern-day forbidden fruit?

Spotted this product in a Milan supermarket... Hope this is not a current-day forbidden fruit... LOL!

Wonder what's inside...

* for those who don't speak my national language, MALU means EMBARRASSMENT. Yes, LOL!






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Travel Story: Milano's ugly side...

Every city has its bad side. Any seasoned traveller can spend the next three days telling you the nightmares they had to face while trying to get acquainted with the local life... Scary? Sometimes...

Milan is the commercial hub of the northern Lombardy region of Italy. Seriously, there really isn't much tourist attractions that can place this city on par to other fashion capitals of the world. Who said that? I did.

I had done Rome, Venice and Florence - all very famous art capitals of Italy. Somehow, Milan didn't quite fit in with these three cities. The odd one out.

I tried to like Milan. I did, to a certain extent. My first impression of this city was marred by a group of over-zealous street peddlers... Afro peddlers. Not that I have anything against them, but they really were a nuisance!

He didn't like being photographed...

As if greeting visitors on behalf of the Duomo, they pop up right before your face, tying to sell you a wrist band which they claim to be "free"... The way to treat them is to smile at first, shake your head and move on. Ignore them.

Don't worry about being physically harassed. They wouldn't dare, as the Piazza del Duomo (the square fronting the Duomo) is heavily guarded round the clock.





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