Surprise Trip

Finally I am landing my feet on the land of goddess, well let me say the land of pleasure (because it gives me pleasure more than the god-stuff).

Previously, I was in a huge doubt going here, since I should finish my final project revision, making a journal, doing this doing that regarding my graduation preparation. To make long story short, I manage to do this ‘surprise-unplanned’ trip to Bali. The most beautiful place on earth-yet I have visited. I bring my laptop with me (which is a rare occasion), and I did bring my spoilt wheeled bag (a very super ultimate rare occasion). I am over with wheeled bags from a year ago.

Anyway, the flight yesterday was going moderately awful. It s delayed and I arrive in Ngurah Rai airport almost midnight. I was so tired and sleepy.

***

Hop into the un-official taxi which agreed to take us (me&mom) to our hotel with 30.000 rupiahs. Its midnight and I don’t have a clear brain that time. We arrive to the kuta area-hotel, the doorman greet us and help our gigantic baggage. While my mom do the check in (we already have a booking), the waiter came with a mango juice welcome drink, with a nicely warm towel and elaborate flowers etc.

Ok, the joy is over, my moms name is not on the booking list. my mom insisting that the booking has already arranged. But alas, the reception did not found our booking. Eventually we realized that we arrive at the WRONG hotel. We supposedly to stay at discovery kartika but our lousy taxi driver drops us at other hotel-I-forgot-the-name.

Finally we have to walk in shame but still trying to keep our heads up. We are walking strolling around our enormous bag for around 1 kilometer reaching our hotel. 1km is nothing to be complaint about, but the story will be different if you are so tired, carry on a massive bag and walking with your Mom at midnight, oh yeah one more thing : there is a light raining! Perfect.

During the walk, we cannot push ourselves to stop laughing. We are so sorry for the previous hotel that already gave as a nice welcome drink and elaborated arrangement for a lost tourist like us!

***

view from my room

Ahh, I love Bali. That’s why I have never bored visiting this heaven, waking up in the morning with the beach sound on the backdrop, listening to the bird chirping beyond the coconut trees. . God it is heaven…

I did it (?)

Yes I did it, I did my final project presentation last Tuesday. Yes of course the result comes wonderful as I expected.

I remember when the moderator (my supervisor) closed the session, one of the judges-lecturer interrupts and she proposes another last question.

“Have you been living abroad?, your English is great.” she asked curiously.

And I said : “oh Yes, I wish I was born somewhere in Malawi and adopted by Madonna.”

You wont believe my answer right? Hehehee.

Anyway now it’s time to collect my scattered life back again, tidy my room all over, remove all of the trash traces of unused final project print. Delete and clean my desktop from unnecessary shortcut, etc etc etc.

The worst part is, first, there is still a horrible final paper revision. Second, I am still waiting for unpublished marks from particular subjects so that I can safe enough to declare that I am going to graduate.

The fact that I have several job offerings here and there (you won’t believe that I got offering to be a lecturer in my faculty) but it doesn’t flatter me at all, it confuses me even more.

My parents demand me to be government employee (duh?!), my circle friends has already gone somewhere in Dubai working for oil company, some were working in a well known bank, high profile company, multinational company and so on and so forth wearing their business suit and tie.

Don’t you know the tension I felt over here?!?

What should I pick what step should I take if there are lots of doors open?

If pursuing your dreams is not makes you parents happy, will you still chase it?

Heck, I will still do it.

*P.S : anyone have job offerings?

NPWP dan Bebas Fiskal (lagi)

Mungkin topic ini sudah bisa dibilang teramat sangat BASI, namun masih banyak orang yang bingung dan tidak yakin dengan fungsi NPWP terutama yang berhbungan dengan fasilitas Bebas Fiskal.

Hal yang sama terjadi pada saya, maklum dengan status mahasiswa jobless dari kalangan marginal, bebas fiscal satu juta rupiah merupakan bekah tersendiri yang harus dimanfaatkan.

Ada beberpa versi informasi yang beredar di internet mengenai fasilitas bebas fiscal. Okelah, semua sudah cukup jelas bagi karyawan pekerja perusahaan yang telah memiliki NPWP. Everything is clear. Case closed.

Namun, bagaimana halnya bila seorang mahasiswa berusia 22 tahun yang belum menjadi karyawan dapat merasakan bebas fiscal? Sedangkan ada versi yang menyebutkan bahwa usia maksimal bebas fiscal dengan NPWP orang tua adalah 21 tahun. . .so?

Jawabannya bisa.

Saya berkesempatan untuk bertanya pada orang pajak secara langsung. Baik yang di bagian pengurusan NPWP maupun di bagian Fiskal kantor pajak Surabaya. So, 99% pasti informasi ini VALID.

Jadi begini, ada 2 option.

Pertama mengurus NPWP sendiri (pribadi) dengan status tunggal. Walaupun belum berpenghasilan, seorang mahasiswa dapat mengurus NPWPnya sendiri.

• Tinggal masuk ke website pajak
• isi formulir + print tinggal
• Urus di kantor pajak dengan bawa fotokopi KTP dan KSK
• Beres.

Namun konsekuensinya, kita harus melakukan laporan pajak sebulan sekali. YES sebulan sekali bukan setahun sekali ke kantor pajak. Ya kalo syarat ini tidak memberatkan ya nggak masalah. . tapi buat saya syarat ini sangat ribet. Kantor pajak jauh!

Kedua dengan menggunakan NPWP orang tua. Yeah, ini khusus bagi yang orang tuanya sudah memiliki NPWP dan masih memiliki Kartu Tanda Mahasiswa (KTM) yang masih berlaku. Pada saat di konter fiscal bandara, kita tinggal membawa :

• fotokopi-fotokopi paspor, npwp orangtua, ksk, ktp
• dan satu lagi fotokopi KTM.
• That’s it done.

Yang perlu digaris bawahi disini adalah, walaupun kita telah berusia diatas 21 tahun kita masih bisa menggunakan npwp orang tua untuk fasilitas bebas fiscal dengan menyerahkan fotokopi KTM.

Tribute to perfect backpack.

You know and I know for sure that I have passion in travelling. I always envy those people who travel around the world. Okey mark my words when I said someday I will travel the globe.

To begin with, I need a proper backpack to accommodate my needs in an upcoming journey. It should be a backpack, it is a MUST.

I remember how silly I was marching with my wheeled luggage in Bali’s Poppies lane . . . the surfers plus local vendors were like gave me an eye. Duh! it is Poppies!

And the time when I firstly arrived in Singapore Geylang MRT point looking for my hostel. I was carrying my un-ergonomic duffle bag all around. My wrist elbow and arms were so sore. . That I can’t even flush the toilet until 30 minutes afterwards.

Lesson learned : I need a backpack.

The feature I desired are :

1. Preferably, the size should be fit to be put into cabin. Sometimes waiting for a check in baggage would takes forever.
2. Strong and fit to my back.
3. Nice looking, as elegant is my style and I don’t want to look like a scruffy and sad backpacker.
4. Can be carried as a carry on, duffle / messenger mode or wheeled is preferable.
5. Cheap.

Haha, the last requirement is the hardest to be met

After browsing here and there I got three candidates.

First is this eagle creek backpack. It has every featured I need, and it has a wheel! the very nice touch is the detachable small backpack to be carried on while strolling on the city. A big drawback is: it is expensive. Almost USD 300, and let say that I can afford that money, I still need to splurge on another USD 100 for shipping cost. Okey case closed, that’s an amount I refused to spend on.

Second is this ultra compact and stylish rick steves carry on backpack. It has the looks, so elegant and simple. Being backpacker doesn’t mean that one can’t travel in style. It has a perfect size since it’s made with maximum volume size we can put into the cabin. And it’s relatively cheap. Around USD 80. Cheap is cheap when u live in USA, but when u destined living in third world country, the story would totally completely different.  Including shipping cost, it is no less than USD 180 and I read the review somewhere that the bag strength is still questioned. Ugh. . I don’t want to end up spending USD 180 and found this bag not worth it.

Finally, what I think is the most eligible, the most affordable and relatively good looking. It comes from a well known local product, Eiger. Art no 5212. From the first time I saw this bag; I know I will fall in love! It’s CHEAP (price sensitive marginal people over here yes please)! And a lot have raving for this bag quality. Only USD 35, without the hassle, the worries, the wait, shipping cost and customs problems.

I did try this bag on the store twice, try walk on with this bag and I must admit that it is not the most comfortable,  . . . but I decide that I loved it. The size is big for a backpack and I’m sure it is too big for cabin.

Living in Indonesia makes one have no wide option unless they are bloody rich. That is my case and I am taking a risk for back ache in buying this bag. Whatever it may end up, at least it is better than my-spoilt-touristy wheeled and painful duffel bag.

No, I haven’t bought it, but I will.

Pleasantly Unpleasant

Ugh, finally I did open my account in BCA. Even though I know the risk and bits I will encounter if I have a business with this bank, NGANTRI. Banget.

Anyway, the process was really pleasantly unpleasant. Bingung kan lo?

Pleasant is because, ternyata mbak CSO nya adalah temen SMA dulu! Well, not friends as in friend but more to an “I know her, she know me”, euhmn okey. That’s it. But it kinda awkward when the topic was my high school romance, cinta monyet or whatever you call it. Bikin salah tingkah tau!

Especially when the CSO or a.k.a that girl is my type to flirt on. Ugh, but I try to handle it professionally. Alias JAIM.

The unpleasant thing was I need to train my signature. The CSO said that my signature in my id card didn’t match with the one I putted onto the legal paper stuff. And I need to work on my signature in front of her until I get manage to present a 98% signature similarity.

God, I don’t know opening an account will be as much as complicated as getting an adopted child. So there I was using 2 sheet of A4 paper work on my signature. Tiring. . . .

Well yeah I know it is the procedure for my own security and stuff, but maybe they should consider “cap jempol” option for the unconscious unstable signature maker like me. It would be easier and far more effective. . whatevs.

Okey, now I am officially having an account. I welcome everyone rich and drunk to donate J, oh yeah, paypal is accepted.