Indonesian shoes & clothing

These are two of my favorite Indonesian brands: Andre Valentino & Minimal.

http://andrevalentino.com/

Don't be fooled by the name (as I was), but Andre Valentino is not an Italian brand; it's actually an Indonesian shoe brand.  There are shoes for men, women and kids.

My first pair of Andre Valentino shoes were wedges which I completely fell in love with that I actually bought another pair but in a different color. They are sturdy so that you can walk hurriedly without being afraid of wobbling. And of course, the main thing, they are very comfortable. I could wear them the whole day at the office (and I really mean the whole day, since we often work until midnight).  

It turns out that Andre Valentino also has outlets in Malaysia & Singapore.

http://www.minimal.co.id/




This brand started business in Bandung, so it used to be that I could only buy it when I was in Bandung. But luckily, they now have opened outlets in the major malls in Jakarta. Minimal specializes in women's wear and accessories. 
I love the designs which are clean cut and well-tailored.

Java Jazz Festival 2012

I'm tempted to buy tickets for this year's Java Jazz Festival. They have a great line-up (as always) with special shows this year by Stevie Wonder, Erykah Badu, Al Jarreau and Herbie Hancock.

Source pic: http://www.indonesia.travel/id/event/detail/427/java-jazz-festival-2012

But then, I remember that it is held in Kemayoran (which is quite far compared to Jakarta Convention Centre where the festival was held in early years) and also the crowds of people ;)

But for those of you who have never attended the festival before, come on...this is the time! Info can be found on their website: http://www.javajazzfestival.com/

And for those who will attend, Have Fun!! :)

Cikini Basket Market

I'm on a mission to tidy up my room and thought of buying rattan baskets for storage. But these baskets are quite pricey as I found out browsing through a shop located in one of Jakarta's well-known malls. I then decided to go to Cikini's Basket Market to try my luck there.

This market lies under Cikini train station. It is well-known for selling all kinds of baskets and boxes to be used for gift hampers. 

In Indonesia, gift hampers are especially sought after during the Ramadhan since it is customary to give gift hampers to your business relations. This practice has been discouraged though in recent years by the government amongst government officials, as it can be misused to bribe officials.

Because I went to Cikini outside the Ramadhan period, the market wasn't too busy. Still there were customers because people also search for hampers to be used for seserahan - a tradition where the groom gives a wedding gift for his bride before the wedding. 

Even though I know Cikini is well-known for its hamper collection, I was still surprised seeing the range of baskets and boxes: there were round-shaped ones, rectangular-shaped ones; made from rattan, carton, wood, bamboo; in natural color and bright colors. 

I spent a nice 1 1/2 hour just browsing through the "shops" to get a feel of the price and looking at the selection. Eventually, I bought 2 small rattan basket and 1 large one. I may have tried harder at bargaining but I was already satisfied since even the initial asking price was 50% cheaper from the ones in the malls I saw earlier :)

Singing Karaoke

Karaoke is a popular pastime in Asia, and Indonesia is no exception. Unlike the Karaoke bars in western movies where a person would sing in front of the bar's audience, in Indonesia, when you are asked to go karaoke-ing, this would mean going to an establishment where you will be singing in private rooms with your friends.

So, less embarrassing for us mediocre singers ;) 

My favorite karaoke place is Inul Vizta.
It is owned by Inul Daratista, a famous Indonesian dangdut singer. Inul Vizta has many outlets spread across Jakarta, so it is easy to find one near you. But the main reason I like it is because it has a broad song selection and it quickly adds new/recent songs. 
The room ranges from small ones for 4 persons to large rooms that can fit over 30 people.

Other popular karaoke places are Happy Puppy and NAV Karaoke.

Small note, karaoke places can often refer to "gentlemen's bars". To distinguish, the word "Family" karaoke is added to point out that this is a hangout place, the conventional way ;)

Go wild! It's just amongst your friends :)

Discounts on the Net

Do you agree or disagree: It never hurts to be thrifty :)

If you agree, you may want to check out this website: http://www.livingsocial.co.id

This used to be a site called DealKeren, however it has change management I guess. This site offers discounts for mainly restaurants but there are also offers related to well-being and travel.

I have used it a couple of times and it worked out well. Just a tip though, you really need to think before buying. It is easy to be tempted to buy things you don't need or more vouchers than you actually need.

There are other similar sites as well. However I haven't tried them out yet:
http://www.evoucher.co.id
http://www.ogahrugi.com
http://www.diskonheboh.com
http://www.disdus.com 
http://www.diskontop.com
http://www.akupluskamu.com

And this site is dedicated to travel offers: http://www.valadoo.com

Spend wisely!