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.akupluskamu.com

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

Spend wisely!

Happy New Year 2012!

I fell in love with this quote when I read it a few days ago. Suddenly I was aware of the possibilities I haven't tried. This may also have to do with my current situation, where I have been given the chance to just take a break from my current career and re-evaluate my life. It is literally a NEW YEAR for me!

I know I have neglected this blog quite a bit duing 2011, but hopefully in 2012 I will have more time to write. Actually, I've started another blog as well but in Indonesian and it will be mainly about my experience living & travelling to places outside of Indonesia (so the opposite of this blog).

Btw, do you know that in Indonesia, we celebrate a few New Years?
- of course there is 1 January
- and then we have another new year celebration not long after: Chinese New Year
Chinese New Years is based on a lunar calendar, so every year it differs. This year, Chinese New Years will be celebrated on Jan 23rd. It will be a public holiday on that day. And since it falls on a Monday this year, that means: Long Weekend (21-23 Jan). Expect ticket prices to go crazy :)
- Islamic New Year: The Islamic calendar also follows the lunar cycle. This year it will fall on Nov 15th.

A friend of mine makes a habit every New Years to mark her calender for all the upcoming holidays. This is so that she can plan her trips. Maybe you would want to do the same as well? Here's a list of Indonesia's public holidays in 2012: http://www.indonesia.travel/en/news/detail/593/-indonesia-2012-public-holidays

Come on...let's flip a page ;)