A Passionate View on All Things Bali

Good morning peeps! You have seen how beautiful Yangon is through our photo album and why its a must-visit through Karen’s blog entry.

Good news is, we are giving away a return flight from KUL-RGN-KUL. And all you need to do to win is to put on your thinking cap, give us your best blog entry and tell us why you want to win a free flight to Yangon and end with the phrase – ‘AirAsia, Simply The Best’ .

Hurry, contest ends 18 July 2010.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS:
1. The “[Blog Your Way to Yangon!]” contest [“Contest”] is organised by AirAsia Berhad [“Organiser”]. The Contest will be for [2 week] commencing from [“Contest Period”]: 10:00 (GMT +8) 5 July 2010 and end 23:59 (GMT +8) on 18 July 2010.

During the Contest Period, one (1) winner from each country (UK, Malaysia and Singapore) will be picked at the end of the campaign. The will be in total four (3) winners to this Contest and each of them will receive the following prize:-

PRIZE
• Winner for Malaysia and Singapore: 2 return flight tickets from Kuala Lumpur-Yangon-Kuala Lumpur for each winner by AirAsia Berhad.

• Winner for UK: included 2 return flight tickets London-Kuala Lumpur-London and 2 return flight tickets from Kuala Lumpur-Yangon-Kuala Lumpur by AirAsia Berhad.

2. The Contest is open to all members of the AirAsia blog except for the following [“Participant”]:
a. Permanent and/or temporary staff or employees of AirAsia Berhad, P.T. Indonesia AirAsia, Thai AirAsia Co., Ltd., AirAsia X Sdn. Bhd. and AirAsia Go Holiday Sdn. Bhd. and its immediate family members;
b. Representatives and/or agents (including advertising & promotion) of AirAsia Berhad, P.T. Indonesia AirAsia, Thai AirAsia Co., Ltd., AirAsia X Sdn. Bhd. and AirAsia Go Holiday Sdn. Bhd.

3. By virtue of an entry to the Contest, Participants signify acceptance and agreement to all terms & conditions set out here.

4. To qualify for the Contest, participants will have to do the following:

CONTEST MECHANISM:

• Write a blog post on their own channel (blog, facebook notes etc) and tell us what they would most likely want to do in Myanmar.
• Once participants have published the post, they are required to email the URL of the post to facebook@airasia.com
• If participants don’t have their own social media channel, they can submit their entry to blog.airasia.com
• After posting the blog entry, participants are required to tell us why they want to win a free flight to Yangon and end with the phrase – ‘AirAsia, Simply The Best’ .

5. Only entries in English, Bahasa Malaysia, Bahasa Indonesia and Chinese will be accepted.

6. All entries must be submitted and received by 23:59 (GMT +8) on [18 July 2010]

7. Only Participants that fulfill the Contest Mechanism stated above shall be eligible to win the prize. Incomplete entries and/or participants that fail to fulfill the contest mechanism will automatically be disqualified from the Contest without notice.

8. The winners will be selected based on the most relevant and creative answer by a panel of judges appointed by the Organizer.

9. Selected winner will be contacted, at any time deemed appropriate by the Organizer, via email.

10. The Prize must be booked, traveled and fully redeemed between 10 August 2010 and 10 September 2010. The Prize does not include anything not listed above including but not limited to: hotel accommodation, airport transfer, travel insurance, passports, visas, meals, baggage allowance, taxes, ground transportation or any other costs of a personal nature not stated. Compliance with any health or other government requirements is the responsibility of the/each prize-winner and companion

11. The Organizer (including it respective employees, staff and agents) shall not be liable for any loss (including loss of opportunity and consequential loss arising therewith) and/or any damage suffered by any winner in connection with the Contest.

12. The winner is bound by the terms and conditions that come with the prize. The acceptance of prize indicates the acknowledgment and agreement of such terms and conditions.

13. The Organizer reserves its sole right and discretion to delete, remove, not consider or reject video with content that is deemed by it to be improper or offensive in whatever nature.

14. The Organizer reserves its rights to publish or display materials or information, including but not limited to the names of all participants for marketing, advertising and publicity purposes in any manner it deems appropriate. The Organizer further reserves its right to use any personal data of participants in any manner and/or for any purpose it deems fit and participant is deemed to consent to such use with no monetary payment.

15. The Organizer reserves its right to cancel, terminate or suspend the Contest with or without any prior notice and reason. For the avoidance of doubt, cancellation, termination or suspension by the Organizer shall not entitle the participant to any claim or compensation against the Organizer for any and all losses or damages suffered or incurred as a direct or indirect result of the act of cancellation, termination or suspension.

16. The terms and conditions herein shall prevail over any inconsistent terms, conditions, provisions or representations contained in any other promotional or advertising materials for the Contest. In the event of any inconsistency, conflict, ambiguity or discrepancy between the English version and the Bahasa Malaysia version of these terms and conditions, the English version shall prevail at all times.

17. The Organizer reserves its right to vary, delete or add to any of these Terms and Conditions and/or substitute or replace the gifts from time to time without any prior notice.
18. By participating in the Contest, it is deemed that the participant agrees to be bound by the terms and subject to the conditions herein set out upon submission of entry. The decisions of the Organizer in relation to every aspect of the Contest including but not limited to the type of prize and winner shall be deemed final and conclusive under any circumstance and no complaint from any participants will be entertained.

19. The decision of judges appointed by the Organizer are final, conclusive and binding and no further appeal, inquiry and/or correspondence will be entertained.

Well, the first blog entry about Bandung gained decent feedbacks. So, here we go; an extension.

Last weekend, I traveled to Bandung, did some kind of flashback of places I thought would be nice if can be shared to others –especially those who are first timer to Bandung—. More or less like “Places you should go while you’re in Bandung” but this list is a bit different.

You may google Bandung and find the usual must-see like Kawah Putih, Tangkuban Perahu, Lembang, Pasar Baru Otista, Rumah Mode, Heritage, or other familiar ones But this list is more personal. Trust me; these places below are worth visiting. They are certainly not the typical Lonely Planet list.

So, shall we begin?

01. Unkl347
Type: Fashion
Location: Jalan Trunojoyo no. 4
Price: IDR 40,000 – IDR 1,000,000
Web: www.unkl347.com

I remember back in 1998, looking for the store somewhere in Dago Atas. I found the clothing line from a liner note of Bandung’s legendary band Cherry Bombshell, it said this clothing sell the band’s merchandise. So I looked for it, I was a fan of the band. Just after I arrived at the small shop, the view changed things forever. They were selling tshirts, pants, and bags that were extra ordinary for a local brand. But for pants and bags, we need to place order and then the stuff arrived 3 weeks later. The design was a breathtaking one back then.

Of course, the business now is not the same. Unkl347 wonderful story has made its owners rich young men wearing their idealism proud. They’re the biggest local clothing company with distribution spots in Malaysia, Singapore, and of course Indonesia.

They still a market leader with wide product variety. You can easily spotted wallets, shoes, bags, fine tshirts, jeans, cute female dress, and even series of band merchandise or Lomo camera.

It goes as simple as this: you’re not cool enough if you haven’t got a piece of Unkl347 in your short life. Up until today, it’s the only local clothing that stays on my life. I’m cool enough, then. Haha.

02. Omuniuum
Type: Fashion, Music Records, Books, Shoes
Location: Jalan Ciumbuleuit, opposite of Universitas Parahyangan
Price: IDR 10,000 – 3,500,000
Web: www.omuniuum.net

If you’re into music, then Omuniuum is the perfect place to visit. Run by one of Bandung’s most friendly couples, Boit and Trie, the shop offers a cozy atmosphere. Even if you just want to hang out here, its fine with them.

They sell band merchandise –one of the most complete music merchandise store in Indonesia—, rare music records, and books. They have few Flaming Lips’ vinyl, dozens of local independent bands cds and Sigur Ros’ boxset worth US$350.

Then they also an official distributor of New Rock Boots, made popular in Indonesia by Koil –this couple are part of Koil’s syndicate— a legendary rock band, born and bred in Bandung.

You can also find good books to read here. Recently I just found Bill Gates and Bruce Springsteen biography here with good price.

If you’re not in Bandung, don’t worry you can contact them by email and make online order. They’re also the best mail order shop in Indonesia. The one you should try is, making friends with Boit and Trie. You might always get special prices. *Ups, I think they will sue me after this*

03. Rumah Mode
Type: Fashion
Location: Jalan Setiabudi
Price: IDR 30,000 – IDR 1,000,000

Have you read my first blog entry on Bandung(http://blog.airasia.com/index.php/expect-something-interesting-from-bandun)? Remember the Boston Red Sox part? Nah, this is the place where I found my Red Sox’s tee. It’s pretty weird, right?

Rumah Mode is a homey shopping spree, a fabulous factory outlet. From Samsonite suitcase to Ben Sherman’s tshirt With fantastic bargains, of course.

No need further explanation. Go find yourself lost in this place. There are also restaurants and coffee shop inside to keep member(s) of your party who’s not into shopping survived. It’s better than sending them home to hotel, right?

04. Suis Butcher
Type: Food
Location: Jalan Setiabudi, Jalan Riau, Jalan Dago (Dago Plaza)
Price: IDR 7,500 – IDR 80,000
Web: www.suisbutcher.com

My friend, Obi Gordon Smith –he’s half Indonesia, half Australian, Bandung’s native— just arrived home from Melbourne on Sunday to spend his semester holiday. So I asked him to pick me up and then we went for dinner, did some catching up. Our pick was Suis Butcher, a steak restaurant.

During my seven years tenure in Bandung, I was a frequent customer. Back then, only Jalan Setiabudi branch existed. Obi and my back then gf, Angelin Sumendap, were among two people I went with the most back then. So this place surely has a special place in my memory.

The first reason is because it’s so cheap! We were college students then, so we’re quite tight with budget, right? But Suis Butcher never failed us, so did last Sunday.

I ordered my favourite black pepper sirloin steak. After three years or so the price increased but still, very reasonable. Where can you get 200 grams steak with only IDR 35,000? Surely it’s a good deal.

The taste is still the same. I even met some waiters who has become fatter and older over the years. Expect to spend around IDR 70,000 for a full course dinner equipped with appetizer and dessert.

05. Kopi Selasar
Type: Café, Art Space, Midday getaway
Location: Jalan Dago Pakar no. 100
Price: IDR 10,000 – IDR 50,000
Web: www.selasarsunaryo.com

Kopi Selasar is a part of Selasar Sunaryo Art Space. Sunaryo is leading name in Indonesia’s art scene. His works –paintings, sculpture, articles— has a special spot in the art scene. In late 90’s he started his own art space, also being home to series of art events from painting showcase to independent music concert.

And Kopi Selasar always gives me a warm feeling. It’s surely one thing I miss the most if I’m away too long from Bandung

Coffee, snacks and friends is uncomparable with the view of this coffee shop. It’s semi open air with great interior design. The best thing is, the atmosphere really represents what Bandung look like.

Located in the heart of Dago Pakar, the hill top restaurant complex, Kopi Selasar offers a temptation to freeze time, staring at the sky, have some quality ‘me’ time and get lost in time.

There’s even a public Angkot (public transport) here. But the latest one leaves around 6 PM from the area. Surely, the best getaway spot in Bandung.

If you’re lucky enough, you’ll find an art exhibition there. I met Sunaryo himself explaining some of his artworks to groups of Malaysians students last monday.

06. Sambara
Type: Food
Location: Jalan Trunojoyo
Price: IDR 3,000 – IDR 30,000
Web: www.sajiansambara.com

One thing you shouldn’t miss in Bandung is Masakan Sunda. There are a few that you can check it out such as Mak Uneh, Ampera, or Sindang Reret. But Sambara is my choice.

It’s not as low as in term of price with Ampera but it’s not as high as Sindang Reret. But you can find any kind of Sundanese food from Bakwan Jagung to Semur Jengkol –be careful of this, ok? Will be addicted and it will leave you with bad side effect if consumed not in a proper portion. F.A.T haha

I am a big fan of Bakwan Jagung –made from sweet corn— and Paru Goreng –cow’s lung—, so I always take these two kinds of food every time I eat there. The sambal are great also, there are four kind of sambal you can choose from.

All food are halal ones. And one good thing for me, Sambara also has a branch in Jakarta.

07. Kartika Sari
Type: Snacks, cakes, pastry for someone back home
Location: Jalan Stasion, Jalan Dago, and few other branches
Price: IDR 3,000 – IDR 200,000
Web: www.kartikasari.com

You’re not good if you bring imported chocolates or liquor from Bandung. They are boring. In fact the Husein Sastranegara airport won’t provide you this kind of souvenirs. The airport is super small, you know. Haha.

Then if you come to Bandung and want to bring home some memories, please consider Kartika Sari. Try Molen Keju, Brownies Kukus, or its Plain Brownies. I’m pretty sure you will then think of a second coming.

My mother usually asked me to bring home some Brownies Kukus if I visited Bandung or came home during my stay back in the past. She’d be happy enough to find a pack of Brownies Kukus in the refrigerator at home.

You should really try this all by yourself.

08. Cloud 9
Type: Hangout place, Drinks!
Location: Jalan Dago Bengkok
Price: IDR 10,000 – IDR 150,000

Well, I’m a person who won’t do clubs. But I love to drink. So, I need to find a place that suit those criteria; no duk-duk-stak music but good enough to drink with friends. Back in 2006, I found Cloud 9, somewhere near Selasar Soenaryo in Dago Pakar. Cheap drinks, good pizza –for me, it’s the best in town— and good view. But, it was so small. Soon, when it got the hip, everyone’s facing a long queue and the place lost its coziness.

They made a good move by moving away to another part of Dago area in Dago Bengkok. The charm restored and the business grew bigger. The most important part, their pizzas are still the best in town and the space are now three level down (not up!) with a breathtaking view of Bandung’s hill top at night.

While there, you can see city lights of quiet Bandung, pull up your pullover; drink Bintang –Indonesia’s finest beer— and have a warm night out with friends.

The place is also an expats melting pot.

09. Paris van Java Mall
Type: Mall
Location: Sukajadi
Price: ??

Ok, this is the best mall in Bandung. Lots of good and fancy restaurants here and it’s typical of mall where you can find dozens of good shops to spend your money on. You can buy designer’s clothes or do a simple laid back chit-chat in one of café there.

And, on top of all, if you think you need to extend your holiday, there is an AirAsia sales counter located in Carrefour on the lowest level. Haha.

Have a better picture of Bandung now? Don’t think, just book at airasia.com. If you want to ask some things about Bandung, I’d be happy to help.

Bandung awaits you!

Bandung is one of the most important cities in my life. And I’m super excited to write about it.

This morning, my memory flew into cold nights, glasses of beers, tasty food and somehow a Boston Red Sox’s tshirt.

I lived in Bandung for seven years. I left the city to comeback home to Jakarta in 2008, but still, I’m a frequent traveler to Bandung.

Caption:　“My latest ride to Bandung with my gf. We took a train that now no longer operates.”

First of all, let me ask you before we proceed to my story, “What do you know about Bandung?”

If someone asks me that question, I’d come up with these three things: Food, Fashion, and Creative Movement. This is exactly what Bandung represents nowadays.

It all went back to 2001; I decided to leave Jakarta to be a full time resident of Bandung. What made me moved at the first glance was its musical scene. Bandung was known for its wonderful music scene. If you’re into independent music, at that time, Bandung was the only answer to your needs.

Dozens of bands came up and released their own stuff. And it inspired me a lot as a grown up teenager –is that even a term in people’s life?—. So, that was the simple reason why I moved to Bandung.

Caption:　“Left is Arian 13 now with Seringai, in 90s Arian was a legend in Bandung with his old outfit, Puppen. Right is Boit, the owner of Omuniuum, Bandung’s finest music merchandise shop.”

Of course, when you live on a daily basis, then music can’t be your only thing. The artsy atmospheric of the city really drove me crazy back then.

I always fall in love with a spot in Jalan Cicendo, where few old pharmacy factory surrounded a cross road. It always gives me a romantic feeling. It always feels like I’m lost in time, somewhere in mid 30s where Dutch Colonialism still ruled Bandung.

Or other example is Gedung Sate, which was named after its symbols on the roof top of that building that look like sate, traditional Indonesian food. It’s the heart of the city, the symbol of Bandung where the city’s house of representative takes place.

Then Jalan Braga also will be included on my most romantic spots in the city. Jalan Braga is like a parade of cafés with various kind of entertainment. You can find dangdut until rock music here. If you’re lucky enough, you’ll find one of Bandung’s finest musicians playing in one of this parade of cafés randomly.

On a bigger scale, If I have to pick one single best thing of Bandung, I’d pick its food. Personally, I think Bandung has its own personification of food. And 98% are halal food.

The traditional one is called Masakan Sunda. But you can find hundreds of other thing in Bandung, from a world class steak, pizza, until traditional snack called Siomay or Baso Tahu. You can also find pastries like baked brownies or pisang molen. Most of them are something that’s not prepared in a common way.

People in Bandung mostly are creative. They always think the other side of the coin to make them different from other town’s resident. Therefore they always find a way to make an innovation that makes lots of money. It happens also in food business. If they want to get widely known or having loyal customers that would keeps the car running, they need to improve from time to time. In this case, restaurants in Bandung need to be creative either to put alternative music, or giving out good price, or it can be providing you breathe taking view just like what the Dago Pakar area has.

Taking a sneak peak on other thing, then you can look at its fashion. For youngsters, Bandung is categorized as fashion Mecca in Indonesia. In terms of manufacturing stuff, Bandung has the best collection nationwide. In terms of design, remember that factor; creativity. Nowadays there are new emerging scene of fashion in Bandung, filled with young designers who are often to be appeared in Kompas or The Jakarta Post, two leading mass newspapers in Indonesia.

(source from: Skyscraper City)

Any age group will meets its expectation to find a fact that Bandung is superb in terms of fashion. This city has its own magic. You can find good materials in Pasar Baru near the Station Hall –Bandung’s main train station—, you can find selected clothing boutique in Jalan Trunojoyo area –home of Unkle347, No Label, Ouval, God Inc. and many other clothing line—, or as simple as you can find a branded factory outlet that surely a shopping haven for those who always seek good deals in shopping.

Umm, that’s where I found my Boston Red Sox’s tshirt. Hehe. I never want to know where the source of getting that kind of tshirt here in Indonesia is. On top of all, most items considerably cheap.

Get a good picture about Bandung?

Well, one thing you should remember that Bandung is a hill top city. The temperature is very nice, a bit cool and windy. Think of Penang Town in Malaysia. I can easily compare these two cities. They both have a perfect view to lay back, small city kind of thing, and warm people to host you.

(Click here for more photos @ AirAsia Facebook)

Still haven’t got a good picture? I have two solutions for you.

One, go to Uncle Google. Ask him to answer your curiosity.

Two, don’t ever think, just book a ticket to Bandung (Airasia.com, flying KL-Bandung 3x daily!)and make a short trip over the weekend. I bet, the statistic of people who decide to make a second coming to Bandung is high. You want to be on that cool group? Well, you decide.

Just be careful though, if you’re not careful ith the temptation caused by Bandung’s food, then you all can be like me; having extra 20kg during my seven years tenure there. So sad.

Felix Dass
09 June 2010 – 01.28
Lived in Bandung for seven years.
Quoting Michael Stipe of REM in Leaving New York, “Leaving was never my proud.”

We have arrived at Delhi, at the neck of India if you take the region of Kashmir to be the head. First things first, get it right. It’s dell-ee with a silent “h” not dell-hee.

I suppose after seeing, hearing, smelling and sweating in Bombay I developed natural shock absorbers from what I witnessed in Delhi. Being the second largest mega-city in India you feel the place being awash with people, elbowing and jostling their way as they hustle on with their daily lives. Like Bombay, traffic here is a daily endurance exercise but it is far more efficient getting from one place to another because of the Delhi Metro. The metro is a magnificent study in modern transportation that breaks the stereotypical sluggish overcrowded chug-chugs we see in photos. It is fast, clean, punctual and devoid of supplementary seating on the roof.

For city commuting, Delhi beats Bombay with ease and so gives much more time to explore its famed monuments which date back much further than just the British Raj. Old Delhi was a city controlled by the Mughals who ruler over northern India for a good three centuries so it is here that you can have a visual feast of its gloriously opulent architecture, among them the tomb of Emperor Humayun – a crypt to mark death in paradise, Qut’b Minar – the longest standing minaret in the world and the Red Fort – where Independence Day speeches are read out.

All three have been designated as UNESCO world heritage sites which offer plenty of opportunity to show of your photography skills. If these three sites can’t satisfy your appetite for domes and minarets, Agra is just four hours away on land for the most precious of Mughal edifices, the Taj Mahal. Emperor Shah Jahan’s loving ode to his third wife has been regarded as the closest mankind can come to physical perfection.

Delhi is an archway to an enthrallingly majestic past; and yeah, you can almost hear the sitar-plucking soundtrack as I say that.

Ever wonder What’s Your India?? Let Madam Araisia’s Airstrology cards tell all! http://www.facebook.com/AirAsia?v=app_273284093628&ref=ts

Also, WIN goodies from Maryann’s adventure right here via AirAsia’s “What’s Your India” contest Read more »

Blog Note: This post is a translated version based on My Bangkok, My Story – http://blog.airasia.com/index.php/my-bangkok-my-story

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飞机外引擎轰声作响，机内乘客寂静地休息着。我正在返回耶加达的回程中，思绪也禁不住想起家来了。然而，这匆匆三天的回忆，依然历历在目。

续上篇文章抵达酒店登记后，我开始步行入市区。来到了高山路（Khaosan Road）。不假思索地，我先寻找我们在这儿设立的销售中心。柜台内坐着一位留着短发，精神奕奕的Bew. Bew是我们的泰国同事。

询问起近况如何：“平常啊？我们的柜台都开放到晚上10点呢！不过现在是宵禁时期，就只开到晚上8点半咯。现在哪，销售比前些天还好呢！呵呵！”他的回答和如阳光般的清爽笑声让我留下了很深刻的印象。是的，不但是Bew, 在这里周围的当地人，脸上都挂着这个快乐的笑容。感觉上在这里仿佛没有不能解决的问题。

继续在街上走着，漫步四处张望，随眼就能看到不同国籍的游客，有好奇地搜索着稀奇的，坐在一旁微笑高声谈论的，讨价还价中的等。此时此刻的高山路似乎什么事情都不曾发生过，一如往常地热闹无比。我心里默然：“这是恢复的明确讯号＃１“。

继续顺着街道走到Soi Rambuttri的巷口，突然忆起我很熟悉喜欢的一家街边熟食档口，就快步踏了进去。隔了四个月，熟悉的老板依然健谈，还把留了许久长发剪短了呢（正巧，我也是！）。兴致勃勃地，我叫了一碟香辣的泰国海鲜炒面，再加一瓶本地壤的啤酒，简单地自我庆祝一番。

留了肚子，我继续顺着街道品尝街边的小吃。可惜时间有限，要快步赶到巴士站乘搭５１１航巴到下一个考察地区了。

挤上了拥挤的巴士，再次让我感到惊讶并扫除了之前阴霾的心情。这座城市已经（几乎）痊愈了！就像是人体伤口自动痊愈一样。曼谷的股市再度活跃，烦人的道路塞车重现。不到９公里的路程，竟然花了我１个半小时的车程！不过，靠在车窗看着在路上行走着的泰国俊男美女，老人小孩们的画面让沉闷的等待变得有趣！赞！

接下来我今天要到的就是购物商区。突然想起在Siam Paragon底层食物中心卖的烧酱猪排，那滋味真是回味无穷啊。就乘搭BTS电车（据说比MRT来得快捷）到SIAM站。几天前还处于关闭状态呢。

一出了电车，进入眼帘的在早前被纵火的Siam剧院。许多人正在远处拍照纪念这个历史性的一幕。执法单位已经将它围了起来，相信重修已经开始进行中了。怀着欣慰的心情，我踏入了Siam Paragon购物中心。

一座购物中心最繁忙的人潮是怎样的？今天在这里你能够实实在在地感受到。在电影院外，一叠连着一叠的人龙正在抢购着最新上映的“罗宾侠”。城中的热点电影，你看了吗？

说到购物中心，除了尚在维修中的Central World，Big C Super Centre, 和Gaysorn Plaza这三家，其他的全都恢复开放了。这是何等迅速的恢复能力？这个速度也凸现了这个民族有着强韧和勤劳的心。一个国家也因为有着如此团结的人民而强大。

逛完了一圈，我按步转去另一带，无意中瞧见了大大长长粘在墙壁上的一片白纸。由于看不明密密麻麻的泰文写了些什么，我猜想是开放给大众留言支持／勉励曼谷的留言板。我就凑热闹上去画下了#AAluvThai – 此行我们在亚航官方推特微搏的标签做个留念。不但是泰国的子民，国外的我们也很关心泰国的。

墙壁的另一厢，堆满了不少的小档口。犹记得上次来的时候并没有这些档口。看到他们在仅有的空间争取最大的商业契机，突然心里一股温热的情绪不由自主地涌了上来，我被他们不屈不挠的精神感动了。这可不是恢复讯号＃２吗？

终于，跑完了需要考察的地区。也载录了需要备注的事件。我回到酒店提了行李直去机场。机场的士司机英文能力不错（在曼谷是比较少有的），途中聊起了2010年南非世界杯。从他闪烁的眼神和愉快地声调中，让我感受到大家（当地人）似乎已经恢复了之前的步伐，正在快乐地期盼接下来等着他们的事与物。哈！恢复讯号＃３！

感谢卫塞节这个公共假期，路上车辆不多，一路顺风地抵达机场大厦。30分钟后我已经在登机寄舱的队伍中。轮到我时，认出我的柜台小姐礼貌地问候我这几天在曼谷过得如何。“从未感觉如此美好！”　夸张地回应中，也是我打从心里深处的回答。

“那么，今晚的航班有多少位乘客啊？”我也随口问了一下。柜台小姐简单地察看后回答说：“嗯。。名单上显示93位，先生。”

啊哈！那是约50%的客座率呢！我们依照当时的泰国状态让不想飞的乘客可以取消他们的行程，在加上是一个普通的工作天，50%的客座率对我来说是一个痊愈的讯号。在登机厦中看到许多印尼旅客，袋子里装着林林总总的泰国手信，猜想他们应该在这儿度过了美好的时光吧！呵~这是恢复讯号#4!

“各位敬爱的乘客，本航班QZXXX将在30分钟后抵达苏加诺-哈达国际机场，请回到您的座位系上安全带 /。。。。。”哎，怎么时间过得这么快？写着写着就快要抵达家园了。

这次的旅历，让我最欣慰和激动的是曼谷恢复得比我想象中更快。我已经不需要再为曼谷担心，曼谷会比当年受到海啸打击的普吉恢复得更快。

阅读到这儿的你，是否还要取消你原本的旅程呢？我倒是觉得您应该再次考虑。

Felix Dass
QZ7717 – Bangkok-Jakarta
23.32.
May 28, 2010 – Somewhere in Jakarta’s air. （在耶加达上空的某处）

I’m currently on my way home to Jakarta. I’ve been missing home so much; I arrived three hours prior to my flight today. Haha. It’s a bit too early and something that rarely happened to me.

As told on my previous article, this trip has been so emotional, visited Bangkok with a sincere heart; to let others know that this city has healed from its catastrophic event happened a week ago.

So, just after the first article posted, I walked around, did some touristic activity. I visited Khaosan Road, including a visit to my favorite street restaurant in Soi Rambuttri –it’s the one in front of Green House Guest House and Rambuttri Inn—, rode the public transports –public bus, taxi, BTS, and even rented motorcycle—, took pictures of street vendors and paid a visit to AirAsia’s sales office in Khaosan Road.

I tweeted. If you managed to see various tweets with hashtag #AAluvThai, nah it was almost all me. But the best part of that short touristic trip was meeting Bew, one AllStars that got a night shift at our station in Khaosan Road.

Bew was full of smile, something we all need to see in a simple way. “We normally open until 10pm. But we’re still under curvew, so we’ll close at 8.30pm,” he explained. He also told me that sales were getting better again. It’s sign of recovery #1.

In a basic rule, seeing local having that kind of enthusiasm is a marvelous feeling. Yes, I’m a stranger for this town, not living here on a daily basis. But having a colleague like Bew who showed me in person that lives here in Bangkok still the same, was extra ordinary.

To see Khaosan in a normal way was also actually another tremendous feeling. Mixture of people –Caucasian, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, and Melayu like me— was there. Just like there’s nothing happened before.

Oh, since the beginning of the day, I wanted to have dinner in my favorite street restaurant in Soi Rambuttri. So I took my chance also.

The owner of that place cut his long hair, just like I did a month ago. Last time I met him was January, four months ago. But the taste of his food was still super ok. I ordered spicy seafood Pad Thai and a small bottle of Singha, to celebrate my return to the neighborhood.

I saved a little space in my tank; local spring roll from street vendor was next. It’s still tasty; I took two pieces of it while having a walk along the main flank of Khaosan Road. Unfortunately, time’s up. I had to go to the nearest bus stop, catch air conditioner bus number 511 that’d bring me back to my hotel in Sukhumvit.

Do you want to know what I felt at that time? Well, you should know actually whether you want it or not –Hehe!—. My sentimental feeling was suddenly gone. I realized that this city is completely perfect again. It was torn into pieces, but it managed to be whole again in a very short time.

Remember the basic ability our body has if it’s torn and leave you cut open? It will healed by itself, right? Bangkok is just like that. Stock exchange were busy again, the bad ass traffic jam was coming back fast –I spent 1.5 hours just to travel in a 8.7 km ride, so silly!— and beautiful Thai girls were seen everywhere. Ups!

That day left me with one more thing to do; visit Bangkok’s leading malls.

The next day was a Wesak day; also a public holiday here in Bangkok. So, I loosen up a bit. At least, traffic jam’s not heavy.

I wanted to have lunch in Siam Paragon’s food court, located on its ground floor. There’s this pork omelet with gravy brown sauce in one stall that always tempted me every time I come here. So, I checked it out again.

I took BTS that always stated as a hassle free method of transport here in Bangkok along with its MRT. Within minutes, I arrived at Siam BTS station. Few days ago, it’s still closed for public because of the riot but now it’s open as usual.

Just after jumped off the train at that station, on the right side instantly I saw the Siam Theater that got burned during the riot. Many people took picture there, probably as the commemoration of being on one site of the riot. The government covered it up. I turned left directly enter the Siam Paragon. Again, the same old memory of this place came in. “Everything’s on its place,” I told myself.

Imagine a leading mall on its busiest day. Siam Paragon had it on that day. Long queue spotted in the cinema at the highest level, Robin Hood was the hit.

And speaking about malls, Siam Paragon was not the only one who has open their space for everyone. Only Central World, Big C Super Centre, and Gaysorn Plaza who haven’t opened their doors. Beside these three names, all shopping centre are back in business. What a speedy recovery, ‘aight?

It showed us all how this nation can smartly ourburst the political issue to be back on track with life normally.

Done with the mall, I decided to take a stroll to the other side of area. And I unintentionally saw this wall of support made from big size of paper glued to the wall. The idea I think was, to let people show their support by writing their thoughts on it. Anything could be written there.

I wrote something there, put the hashtag #AAluvThai that we’d been using during the weekend to broadcast pictures and small quotes directly from Bangkok. This other side was alive, filled with street vendors that weren’t there last January. I didn’t know where they came from and since when they could occupy small spaces there. It was a sign of relieve, once again, although it was actually a bit bothering for street walkers. It’s recovery sign #2!

So, mission completed. I had recorded everything on my task. I came back to the hotel and directly headed to the airport. I travelled with a good taxi driver. He was a bit fluent in English, something considerably rare here in Bangkok. We talked about football and he told me that people here are really up for the upcoming world cup next month. Ah, another sign of recovery! It’s #3.

Thank God, once again, it’s a public holiday. No traffic jams to the airport. In 30 minutes time I found myself lining up in a check in counter. When my turn came, one fellow AllStars on the check in counter smiled at me. “Hey! How are you doing?” she asked me. “Never been better, time to go home,” I chuckled.

I asked her, “How many passengers on the plane tonight?” She replied, “In the list are 93, Sir.”

Wow. It’s around 50% load factor. We’ve been offering some options to those who decided to cancel their trip to and from Bangkok, but in time like these –especially it’s a weekday trip—, finding a 50% load factor is (again) another sign of recovery. Later at the boarding gate, I found many fellow Indonesians going home. Some of them equipped with plastic bags filled with goods that typically Bangkok’s stuff; printed tees, fedora hat and some other things.

I bet those people were having some fun in Bangkok. Sign #4!

Ah, the cabin crew just announced, we’re about to be landed at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta. Home is near.

Glad to know that Bangkok is superbly safe and sound. You still want to cancel your trip there because of security reason? Well, think of it again. Cheers, sorry to make the story cut earlier! Blame the pilot. Haha.

Felix Dass
QZ7717 – Bangkok-Jakarta
23.32.
May 28, 2010 – Somewhere in Jakarta’s air.

在吉隆坡工作忙碌了一整个星期后，回到家阅读了上星期日关于曼谷的报道，心里非常忧郁，很沉重，很不安。脑子里都是曼谷的杂讯竟然挥之不去。

曼谷商区被纵火，伤亡事件， 警民对持的新闻或许大家都耳熟能详。这些发生事故，被破坏的地点，都是我很喜欢并有着浓厚的感情的。所以，我脑海里浮现了一个想法。我一定要去现场！用自己的眼睛，亲自去了解，关心这个地方。

经过了多次和曼谷，吉隆坡，耶加达的同事们的来回交涉，我终于完成了申请，获准乘搭公司飞机到曼谷，去察看市中心的恢复，并述写我的经历和大家分享。

当我在星期一下午回到家和家人说我会在星期三一早去曼谷公干时，他们着实吓了一大跳。

妈立即说：“疯了啦你？都什么情形了你还要去！别的不是我孩子我才不担心。”
“妈别操心，我没事的。”我柔声回答。

没错。现在我已经在这儿了。安安全全。

在我准备这份稿的几分钟前，我回复了询问我曼谷目前是否安全，身在印尼的好友的微博：“咱们是印尼人，惊喜就是我们生活的一部分” – 心想，没错。没有什么需要忧心的。呵呵！

我深信曼谷是安全的。

一个重镇东南亚经济脉搏的城市，在这两个月内虽然倍受压力，但是我相信他们可以很快地站回起来，而我绝对愿意做一个小先锋去帮助推动这个恢复力量。

我怀着很大的期望，从吉隆坡航班FD3572踏入了素万那普国际机场。骤然一看，机场真的冷清了很多。老实地说，真的很难寻找到旅客的踪迹。古语说“不怕一万，只怕万一”，似乎许多人都不愿冒这个险，去设法取消他们的旅程。 这是能够体谅的。有多少人愿意踏入印象中犹如战后般的东南亚呢？

这时，我在排队入境时遇见了一个勇敢的印度家庭。阿伊斯先生十分好谈，他说他和家人来自印度孟买，他今天生日的妻子还在同一班机上幸运地从我们的首席执行官手里赢得了生日礼物呢！

“我三个星期前才订下这个旅程。我？才不担心呢！倘若真的不行，我还可以到芭堤亚。” 阿伊斯先生豪迈地说他准备在这儿好好地玩上四天。

感觉轻松的，我踏出了闸门。 沿着让人心情轻松的机场栏杆，看到了正在工作岗位吃午饭的建筑工人，在他们悠然享用午饭的脸上，我看到了简单，畅快的笑容。

我还担心着当地人民是否会因为这些日来发生的事故影响了他们一惯的笑容？看来我真是太多心了。呵呵！管它什么宵禁！这不就是我喜爱的城市吗！日出日落，没有分别呐。

通往酒店的路程中。 的士司机喋喋不休地述说曼谷-耶加达的比较。印象最深刻就是他使用生硬的英语告诉我：“生活如常啊。您看~ 现在路上已经开始塞车了，又到了繁忙时间呐。呵呵！”

没错。繁忙的车流量象征着生活如常，这是很简单，却又是那么直接的衡量标准。这里的塞车严重性，完全可以和耶加达相比。晕~

很欣慰能过再次回到来这里。我会继续写更多和大家分享。这个星期后阅读我的经历的您，应该能够感受到在主流媒体报道的背后 — 生活如常的曼谷市。

让我们一同向害怕，忧心的感觉道别。把心房打开，勇敢地再次踏入这片国土。

最后，我公司（不是我）还会为大家带来惊喜，请留守http://www.airasia.com啊。

Felix Dass
Somewhere in Bangkok
26/05/2010 – 20.08

I have to admit that I was being so melancholic when I read last Sunday’s news paper back home. Last weekend personally was a blast for me, to finally come home after spending a whole week working in Kuala Lumpur. But my mind was stuck on one thing, Bangkok.

As you all know, that riot torn the business district apart in Bangkok last weekend. People died, bloodshed, and all security issues were there. I know some places in that area well. I love them, therefore the idea kept around in my mind.

After dozens of emails exchange between AllStars in in Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, and Bangkok itself, here I am. writing what has been in my mind directly from the center of Bangkok, a place where I really want to be right now.

I told my family just last Monday evening, that I’d be travelling to Bangkok for work purposes on Wednesday. Of course they were surprised. My mother said, “Hey son! Are you crazy? If the one who go there isn’t my son, and then I won’t be having this worried feeling.” I replied gently, “Don’t worry, I’ll be ok.”

I was true. Here I am, once again, safe and sound.

Just few minutes ago –while writing this article— I tweeted something also to a friend who was asking about security here, “We’re Indonesians. We live with surprises.” I should be ok with this feeling. Haha.

I strongly believe that Bangkok is really ok. As one of the most important hubs in South East Asia, of course they suffered a lot. To face this kind of reality, I’d to anything to help one of my most favorite cities that I’ve ever been to heal.

I stepped out the FD3572 from Kuala Lumpur to Bangkok with big hope. Suvarnabhumi was quieter that before. To be honest, it’s not many touristic things happening this afternoon at the airport. People are scared and had ultimate tendency to cancel their trip at any cost. It’s understandable, “Who wants to be involved in a post war daily life somewhere in South East Asia?”

Then I met one brave (and lucky) Indian family. I had a nice chat in the queuing line with Mr. Ashish Sakhalkar who travelled with his family. He came from Mumbai and his wife, Mrs. Ashwini Sakhalkar apparently won a special gift from Tony Fernandes while they were on board because it was her birthday today.

“I just booked the ticket three weeks ago. I don’t scare at all. If things don’t go well in Bangkok, I can still go to Pattaya,” he said. He’s planning a four days trip in Thailand and no worry at all on his face.

The feeling was great. Then on my way out, I saw those modern fences that always make feel good every time I walk to the exit at Suvarnabhumi Airport. I saw construction workers having lunch on their own space. But on top of all, I saw smiles.

Need I worry if people who live here on daily basis bravely put their smile to say hello to a guest? Of course not!

Instantly, I said to myself, “The heck with the curfew. I’m coming back to the city I love. So let’s see the sun come up and night cover it up at the end of the day.”

My colleague in Jakarta booked me a room in Sukhumvit area, just as I requested. So I rode with this Thai taxi driver who kept asking about how Jakarta was. He told me, of course in very broken English, “Life’s normal here. Look, traffic jam is there already. It’s rush hour time.”

Yeah, life is normal when the traffic exists. Bangkok’s traffic jam can be hellish. More or less identically to what I experience on a daily basis in Jakarta

I saw traffic jam! Bangkok is (near) completely normal. Well you just need to see the picture and have a thought on your own.

I am just glad to be back here. Stay tuned for more stories. By the end of the week, you who always read my journal in this blog will think the same; life here is normal, in Bangkok.

Then say bye-bye to your fear. Open your heart and come back to Bangkok again. It’s same-same but no different here.

More stories and surprises (from my company –not me *wink) ahead, so please stay tune at http://www.airasia.com.

Felix Dass
Somewhere in Bangkok
26/05/2010 – 20.08

Thank you, for making us The World’s Best Low Cost Airline, AGAIN!

It is indeed a joyful and momentous day for every one of us here in AirAsia. In the annual global survey conducted by respected London-based aviation consultants Skytrax, AirAsia was named as the World’s Best Low Cost Airline AGAIN, for the second consecutive year.

Caption: AirAsia chairman Dato’ Abdul Aziz Abu Bakar accepted the award on behalf of the airline at the ceremony in Hamburg, Germany, Thursday. In the same ceremony, AirAsia was also named Best Low Cost Airline Asia.

Dato’ Sri Dr Tony Fernandes, AirAsia Group CEO, said, “We are proud to be recognised as the world’s best for a second consecutive year. The Skytrax award is very special to us because it is voted on by passengers. It reaffirms once again that we are the People’s Champion.”

Indeed, we are very humbled to be awarded the World’s Best Low Cost Airline again. And none of this would be possible without your continuous support.

In just merely 8 years, we have grown from a two aircraft and one destination to an Asean-wide Group with almost 7,500 employees, 92 aircraft and more than 65 destinations. Achieving this might not have been easy, but this is proof that if one dares to dream the impossible, believe the unbelievable & never take no for an answer… all things will be possible.

We thank each and every one of you who has supported us through the years. We will continue doing our very best, taking all of you with us to paint the skies red, so that you will have more great stories to share with your loved ones.

Our effort to be the world’s best does not stop here. We will continue to be the best by bringing more innovative services and new exciting route launches to all of you.

And in conjunction with this joyous moment, let us celebrate with more low fares to all these exciting destination! What are you waiting for, head over to airasia.com today

From: AirAsia Blog Team

It’s time for Free Seats again! Based on past experience, we’ve noticed that whenever we have any major promos, somehow or rather problems always occur. To help speed up your booking process, we’ve identified these common issues and have come up with a simple guide on solutions and tips to help you grab your free seats!

Free Seats starts on 00:01(GMT+0800) 18 May 2010
Booking period: 18 – 23 May 2010
Travel period : 3 Jan – 8 May 2011

Common Issues:

1. Payment Error / Time-out / Payment showing “Pending” or “Need payment”
• Don’t worry if you see this message.
• Call your bank to find out if the transaction has gone through. If it has, it means your transaction was successful and you do not need to go through the booking process again.

2. I see my Booking Number, but No Confirmation Email received
• During promo periods, our site experiences high traffic and can get quite congested. It may take a longer time to receive confirmation emails. Please give it 24 – 48 hrs. Just make sure you’ve checked with your respective bank whether or not the transaction went through.

3. Website cannot be loaded / cannot click on the fare
• Clear your cache (Ctrl+F5) then reload the page. Be sure to use IE8.0 or Mozilla Firefox

Useful Tips:
1. CREATE an AirAsia Member ID (RedA!ert), this helps a lot when you encounter payment error, you can always return to “Manage My Booking” to complete the payment without having to go through the hassle of Rebooking! Much easier right?

2. If you book without a member ID, make sure you WRITE DOWN the Booking number so you can use it to log on to “Manage My Booking” later!

3. Use mobile.airasia.com as an alternative.
• It may be slow too; but keep trying until you get it!
• Credit Card is the ONLY payment method

4. Plan your trip in advance.
• Prepare a few travel plans. If Plan A doesn’t work, at least you’ll have back-up plans and save the hassle of planning from scratch again.
• Have all passengers’ details at hand. I.e: name, passport numbers, etc.
• If your passport is expiring soon, no worries. Just fill in your current details and update your latest passport details via “Manage My Booking” at no extra cost at a later time.
• Note: Passenger name change is not permitted for promo tickets. So plan carefully (*wink)

5. Do not open multiple TABS to search our fares as it may confuse the “values” when you book. You may end up with the wrong travel date. So make sure you clear your cache (Ctrl+F5) before starting the booking process.

Special Alert:
1. We’ve been doing some housekeeping on User ID’s with “duplicated” email recently. Do try logging in before the promo to ensure you login ID’s work. If you have created more than one ID in the past (With the same EMAIL), the most recent one created will be valid. If you cannot recall your ID and password, then send in your details to http://www.airasia.com/my/en/faqdetailsform.html and our team will help you retrieve your ID and password.

Good Luck!