Traveling Essentials

My ultimate things every time I travel. Usually I just bring a backpack, and this small sling bag that I put inside the backpack. When I walk around the city, I only take the small bag. Simple and compact. Between these things, I have two that highly recommended to be your favorite too.

MUJI Safety Case

I love this brand for its travel and home products. They are so simple, useful, and greatly designed. I don't usually bring my wallet, just some money and cards. I put that inside this mini bag, with some tickets and important paper. Kept inside jacket, it's more safe than having a wallet inside your pocket. It's so light and easy to take the things out. Price: IDR 185k.

UNIQLO Light Pocketable Parka

One of my most favorite apparel brand. Indonesia is so hot and humid throughout the year, so wearing jacket is a must when walking outdoor. This jacket is so light and feels cool. It can protect you from the harsh of sunlight but keeps your body from the wind or light rain. I still bring another jacket for keeping me from the cold (like in train), so whenever it isn't used, I can fold it so small so no worry to take wherever I go. Price: IDR 499k.

Happy traveling!

Going cashless

In developed countries maybe cashless is a common, but in developing country like Indonesia, very few people going cashless. The government has made some policies to manage this, and some banks and cell providers give many promotions such as discounts to make customers using e-money instead of physical money. I myself find it convenient to use e-money card (we have weak currency, more than 13000 IDR for 1 USD so the need of small money as change is a lot), but some stores just haven't ready yet. It takes too long to pay with card in convenience store like Indomaret. Swipe this, Swipe that, click this, click that... Not  to mention some errors and lost signal in the EDC machine, which is very common here (why they keep using GPRS when we have LTE?). And the queue become even longer.

I support the move, to have some e-money cards and mobile payment in my cellphone. I pay with debit card when I shop in shopping mall. But I don't use credit card, I don't want to have any debt to anyone. I hope the system going better in line with people using less physical money. It's good to the macro economy, so the inflation won't get crazy and our money will keep their value for a long time.

ASUS Zenbook UX303lb Review

I have this notebook for several months, so I want to give review for it based on my experience.

When I bought it (for 14M IDR or about 1000 USD), previously I wanted to buy a macbook air. But it turned out that with the money I could get a laptop with the same convenience but much more advanced specs (The same level with the new macbook pro but with half of its lowest price). Yes! this zenbook UX303lb. Very thin, very light, and very sturdy. What I love the most is its flexibility. You can upgrade the RAM and hard drive easily, unlike other ultrabook. It has many ports, three USB 3.0 (one with fast charging), HDMI port, Display port, and SD card reader (look at the new macbook, just one port for ALL needs). The design is very beautiful and feels bold. And nowadays, windows still dominate the market, so I won't worry with all the software I want to use.

I had confusion when i chose this, whether to buy the new UX305 or this UX303lb. UX305 has lower specs for the same price, but UX305 is fanless, has longer battery life, thinner, and much lighter. Eventually i chose UX303lb because it has the newest Intel Core i7 (vs Intel Core M in the UX305), dedicated graphic card (NVIDIA GeForce 940m), 8GB RAM, and 1TB hard drive. For long usage, I think the specs can support me for both educational and profesional use.

So far, I'm quite pleased with this laptop. I had Sony VAIO before this (still a great laptop for 5 years) so the bar was set high. ASUS UX303lb has a great specs for all modern application. It is very fast; great for gaming, software simulation, or just daily office. The compact body make it so mobile and doesn't hurt your shoulder. The battery life is so-so, great for office (can survive 5+ hours) but not so great for heavy use (2-3 hours. Just look at the specs!). But I dislike the keyboard and touchpad. It's not as comfortable as Sony has, I mistyped and misclicked very often.

Overall, the ASUS Zenbook is such a laptop that I would recommend. It has qualities of a macbook (great design and materials), but has the flexibility of a Windows PC (with a reasonable price, obviously).

Neko Atsume Mobile Wallpaper Download (Update Ver. 1.6.0)

I have been playing this game for months, and got all of their cats and mementos. This afternoon, the official account tweeted that they have updated the app, and add some functions. I'm very excited because they have just added 4 new cats! 2 regular cats and 2 rare cats. But sadly until now, I don't see them yet.

Now we can buy wallpapers for 20 golden fish each. That's very expensive! Since I have plenty of golden fish before, I bought all of available wallpapers, and here I want to share them with you (just click on the pic to get the full resolution), so you can save your fish to buy their awesome new toys and new model house, Sugary Style!

Wifi Problem on Windows 10 : Solved!

It's very frustrating when my computer can't detect Wifi signal. Yeah, since the upgrading of Windows 10, sometimes the WiFi setting is lost, and I can't connect to any wifi.

When I Google it for the problem, it turns out that many other people experience it. Some people suggest to input some code to terminal, but the code just doesn't work. So I buy Wifi adapter instead, for IDR 78 k (less than USD 6). The D-Link DWA-123 is as small as your usual flash drive, so nothing to be bothered. I just take it with all other appliances such as flash drive, HDD portable, and VGA converter in one pouch, in case the problem showed again.

P.S: After some windows updates, the wifi problem become less common. Now I can connect to the wifi with my laptop adapter almost all the time.

Bali's Main List

Five destinations that are very essential  to visit in Bali, according to me.

1. Kuta Beach

The icon of Bali, the place where you can sunbathing, playing, or learning how to surf. It's easy to get there because Kuta is very close to Ngurah Rai International Airport. There are many shopping malls, restaurants, and clubs around, making Kuta and Legian the most lively places in Bali during the night. But you can't skip the crowd and trash.

2. Pandawa Beach

A new beach destination in Bali. Surrounded by limestone hill, its beach is amaaaaaaziiing! Waaay better than Kuta. However, the location is quite remote, so you need to rent a bike or call Uber (don't treat it like taxi so local people can't recognize the driver as Uber. People just hate Uber and their kind of).

3. Pura Uluwatu
Perfect place to enjoy sunset while watching Kecak Dance on top of the cliff. It costs 100k rupiah for Indonesian.

4. Tanah Lot
Another icon of Bali. You have to go by morning, so you can cross the island.

5. Danau Beratan
Pura Ulun Danu located in the lakeside of Beratan. It's so iconic, you can find it in the indonesian 50k rupiah! It's quite far from Kuta, about 2 hours riding bike. Be sure to bring your jacket and raincoat, due to its cold and rainy weather. There are several spots in Beratan Lake where you can take some water sports.

Sure, there are soooooo many other beautiful spots in Bali, but i choose my 5 favorite places so you can proudly show off your vacation in Bali to your friends, LOL.

Ayam Betutu (Men Tempeh Bali)

It is relatively hard to find a local restaurant that has halal certification in Bali. During my stay, mostly i eat at hotel or at javanese restaurants. That was one day when I met my friend that work in Denpasar, I tried one local dish named Ayam Betutu. I went with the recommendation of my friend, Ayam Betutu Men Tempeh, just across the Krisna souvenir shop (everyone here know where Krisna is). The most famous restaurant for this dish is Ayam Betutu Gilimanuk, not far from this restaurant. But we eat at Men Tempeh for a better dining atmosphere (but slightly more pricey).

They are using organic chicken (ayam kampung) as the ingredient, so it was safe for me (i'm allergic to the broilers). It was sold in package, about 50k-60k rupiah for a half body of chicken, rice, and plecing (water spinach and bean sprouts with spicy dressing, accompanied with fried peanut and sambal matah). You can choose the fried or saucy version. I found this dish quite tasty, but not so special according to my javanese palate. Nevertheless, you can't leave a place without trying their local cuisine, right?

Terbang Pertama Kali!

Saya nulis ini karena masih hangat di ingatan pertama kali terbang, baru aja bulan lalu saat mau menghadiri pernikahan teman. Sekarang udah 4x terbang, jadi udah lumayan hapal dan bisa sharing. Berhubung waktu pertama kali terbang juga nyari informasi di blog. Hehe.

Terbang itu enak lho! Kemana2 cepet, tiket bisa beli deket2 hari (ga kayak kereta yg cepet banget abis). Lagian kecelakaan di udara itu kecil banget lho, bahkan peluang kita kena accident menuju bandara jauh lebih besar daripada peluang trjadi saat di udara.

Apa aja yg perlu disiapkan? 

Yang jelas tiket dong. Bisa beli di travel agent, website, atau aplikasi. Sekarang udah banyak aplikasi yang menyediakan layanan pembelian tiket pesawat, dan yang biasa saya pakai adalah traveloka. Pilihan pembayarannya banyak, interface nya mudah, dan harganya reasonable. Bisa sekalian pesan hotel juga. Nah, saat beli tiket yang paling penting diingat adalah kode booking. Catet di hape atau dimanapun kita bisa ingat.

Prosedur Saat di Bandara

Kita bisa aja langsung datang ke bandara. Amannya siapin 2 jam di bandara buat ngantri dan segala prosedur administrasi. Buat masuk ke bandara, satpam biasanya nanyain bukti kita udah pesan pesawat, bisa e-ticket atau yang lainnya. Yang gampang sih dicetak, tapi nunjukin di hp juga ga masalah kok.

1. Check In

Setelah masuk bandara, cari maskapai penerbangan yang kita pakai buat check in. Kita bisa ngasih e-ticket atau sebutin aja kode booking nya. Disana juga kita naruh barang bawaan yang dimasukin ke bagasi (kalo ada). Check in ini ditutup 1 jam sebelum berangkat, jadi jangan ke bandara mepet2 ya...

Beberapa maskapai seperti Garuda Indonesia (yang saya pakai) menyediakan website check in yang dibuka 24 jam sebelumnya, jadi mending check in di website deh. Tinggal masukin kode booking sama tanggal berangkat. Bisa sekalian check in rame2 lho, tinggal tambahkan penumpang dan masukin kode booking temen. Keuntungannya kita bisa pilih tempat duduk sendiri, dan menghemat waktu di bandara nya.

2. Security Check

Barang bawaan yang masuk kabin dimasukin ke alat scan, bersama barang2 kayak jaket, jam tangan, hp, sabuk, atau perhiasan. Badan kita masuk ke metal detector dan diperiksa. Habis itu, cari gate yang tertera di boarding pass buat nunggu.

3. Boarding

Kita nunggu pesawatnya siap. Di saat ini, pasang telinga baik2 ya, setiap ada pengumuman harus didengerin. Soalnya ga jarang gate nya tiba2 berubah waktu udah mau dibuka...

4. Masuk Pesawat

Kalo naik garuda, saat masuk pesawat bakal dikasih koran (dari koran lokal sampe berbahasa inggris). Begitu naik pesawat, hiburan di belakang kursi udah bisa dinikmati, tapi masih belum bisa dengerin suaranya. Headset baru bisa dipasang kalo udah take off. Headset diplastikin di kantong belakang kursi, dan colokannya ada di arm rest. Ohya, kursi juga belum bisa diturunin ya kalo belum take off. Di atas pesawat juga nanti dikasih snack gratis dan bisa pilih minuman, jus atau teh/kopi panas.

Catatan:

1. Sering kan kita baca, kalo ga boleh bawa cairan di atas 100ml. Selama ini saya naik penerbangan domestik, bawa minuman sampe berbotol2 boleh kok. Asal dibawa ke kabin. Kayaknya peraturan itu strict buat penerbangan internasional deh.

2. Barang2 tajam atau logam kayak alat cukur, pemotong kuku, dll masukin ke bagasi, soalnya ga boleh masuk kabin.

3. Kalo perjalanan ga lama, mending bawa tas atau koper yang bisa masuk kabin deh. Soalnya nunggu barang bagasi itu lama banget... Atau bawa duffel bag lipat, yang kalo waktu pulang barang bawaannya tambah banyak, bisa masuk kabin, yang lainnya masuk bagasi aja.

Segini aja pengalaman naik pesawat buat yang belum pernah naik sebelumnya, semoga bermanfaat ya... have a safe flight!

Kindle! Dari Beli Kindle di Indonesia Sampai Dapetin Bukunya dengan Gratis

Saya sukaa banget baca novel. Koleksi jaman sekolah bahkan udah ga muat lagi ditaruh di rak buku. Setelah sekian lama menggeluti hobi ini akhirnya tertarik buat beli Kindle. Kenapa? Soalnya setelah coba punya temen, ngerasa enak banget buat baca, udah kayak baca buku aslinya. Ga seperti baca di tablet atau smartphone, baca di Kindle ga bikin capek. Versi terbaru juga udah ada lampu built in nya, jadi bisa dibaca dimana pun dan kapan pun. Bisa nyimpan ribuan buku dalam satu device, baterai tahan berminggu-minggu. Dapetin e-book nya pun mudah. Ga ada lagi jauh-jauh ke periplus ataupun kinokuniya, terus ngerogoh kocek dalam2 cuma buat beli buku impor.

Banyak alternatif untuk dapetin Kindle. Bisa beli langsung di website resminya, beli di online store, ataupun beli di toko yang menjual e-book reader. Beli Kindle di website resminya memang jauh lebih murah (cuma sejutaan), tapi ongkir kesini kan mahal, juga bisa kena bea cukai yang lumayan besar (yang bisa jadi totalnya lebih mahal daripada harga di toko2 biasa). Karena Kindle ini ga ada distributor resminya di Indonesia, makanya harga di toko jadi mahal, selisih dengan harga resminya sampai lebih dari satu juta. Namun karena kepraktisan, saya pilih beli di toko. Langsung pegang barangnya dan yakin akan kualitas barang yang dibeli.

Saya beli Kindle di Bandung, tepatnya di Origik Store (Baltos lt1). Teman saya sudah pernah beli disini secara online, jadi sudah terpercaya. Lagipula kebetulan waktu itu saya sedang di Bandung. Kindle Paperwhite 2  Ads di bulan Maret 2015 harganya 2,3 juta, ditambah case 300ribu. Saya rasa harganya wajar. Kalau googling, di beberapa toko online bahkan menjual dengan harga lebih mahal.

Gimana dengan versi non Ads? Ga jauh beda kok kalau jarang konek wifi. Dengan harga yang 300ribuan lebih mahal, non Ads bakal kerasa kalau kamu biasa pakai akun amazon buat beli bukunya secara legal karena ga akan muncul iklan. Tapi kalau wifi selalu off, list buku rekomendasi tinggal dimatikan dan Kindle Ads bisa bekerja tanpa gangguan iklan. Memang fitur2 seperti goodreads maupun sinkronisasi akun jadi mati, tapi toh saya ga butuh itu (karena ga beli buku aslinya, hehe)

Setelah punya Kindle, gimana ngisinya?
Seharusnya memang konekin wifi dan beli bukunya di amazon. Tapi kamu perlu kartu kredit dan alamat US... repot kan? Kadang waktu beli, penjualnya bakal ngasih bonus DVD yang isinya kumpulan e-book. Tapi kalau ga dapet, mau cari e-book yang gratis gimana caranya?

Kali ini saya akan sharing mengenai cara cari e-book gratis menggunakan mIRC. Mudah dan ga perlu sign up macam2.

• Pertama, download dan install Calibre. Freeware kok. Software ini dipakai untuk manajemen e-book yang kamu punya. Dari berbagai file yang tersebar di harddisk akan disatukan dan disortir berdasarkan penulisnya. Waktu install, setting dulu sesuai device yang kamu punya (misal dalam kasus saya, Kindle Paperwhite). Saat Kindle connect ke komputer, Calibre akan langsung detect, dan bisa tau buku mana aja yang udah masuk ke device dan mana yang belum. Tinggal Send to Device dan bisa sekalian di convert ke file yang support dengan e-book reader nya.
  
• Download dan install mIRC. Jadul banget ya? Tapi buat nyari e-book gratis cukup powerful loh... Buku apa pun ada, download nya pun mudah. File e-book kan kecil, jadi males banget kalau download lewat file hosting yang harus melewati banyak step yang kadang tiada berujung.
  
• Pilih server Undernet, klik connect (logo petir di kiri atas), lalu masuk ke room #bookz.
  
• Setelah itu setting untuk download otomatis. Pilih menu Tools, Options, Pilih DCC, centang Auto-get file. Dengan ini, kalau lagi unduh banyak buku, ga perlu lagi accept satu-satu. Karena kadang buat download perlu antri, kalau otomatis kan bisa ditinggal. Takut virus ikut ter-unduh? Bisa pilih opsi Ignore di dalam DCC, pilih accept only, masukin file2 yang dibutuhin aja (zip, rar, 7zip, epub, mobi, pdf). 
  
• Buat nyari e-book, masukkan @search [nama penulis atau judul buku yang ingin dicari] di dalem room. Contoh @search paulo coelho. Nanti akan ada file yang isinya daftar nama yang sesuai (di dalam file zip SearchOok), cari aja file yang diinginkan dengan ctrl+f, copy, paste di room. Nanti akan ke-download otomatis. Kadang ada juga bot yang ngirimin alamatnya di chat private, kalau cocok dan males buka file hasil search, bisa juga copy dari situ. Copy diawali dari tanda seru dan diakhiri nama ekstensi file.
  
  
  
  
• File yang enak dibaca di kindle itu azw, epub, atau mobi, karena support freeflow. Jadi tulisan bisa diperbesar atau diperkecil dan akan menyesuaikan dengan ukuran layar. Ga perlu repot pinch zoom in zoom out kayak buka pdf. Tulisannya juga lebih muda dibaca dan support highlight maupun dictionary.

Selamat mencoba!