First Trip to Beijing Capital

Catch Notes for aloysiusds
Exported Tue Jul 05 15:13:30 GMT+07:00 2011

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[ aloysiusds ]

Watch!
A quick guide on what to watch out for a watch. For general knowledge only. Of course, please refer detailed advice on how to use and care information that usually found in the guarantee cards accompanying the watch purchase.

A water resistant watch can be exposed to light moisture, such as light splashes of water when washing your hands. However, some water resistant watches can be submerged into water, and their depth of resistance should be indicated.
This depth of resistance is measured in "atmosphere" (ATM) or "bar" tested at the labs, and each ATM denotes 10 metres of sstatic water pressure.

When it says 3ATM or water resistant to 30m:
It is suitable for daily use; not for swimming or submersion in water. Can only withstand ligth splashes of water or rain.

5ATM or water resistant to 50m:
It is suitable for short swimming sessions in shallow water; not for diving or snorkeling.

10ATM or water resistant to 100m:
It is suitable for swimming and snorkeling.

20ATM or Water resistant to 200m:
It is suitabpe for high impact water sports and some diving activities, like skin diving.

Diver's 150m or Diver's 200m:
It is suitable for skin and scuba diving. It meets ISO standards.

However, there are DOs and DON'Ts:
> Don't wear your water resistant watch into a shower, hot tub or sauna.
> Don't wear leather watches when swimming.
> Do rinse the watch in fresh water after swimming or diving in salt water.
> Do rinse it after exposure to chlorinated water, spray-on perfumes and hairsprays.



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[ aloysiusds ]

Singapore to Jakarta, June 30, 2011.
From foodcourt, after hot conversations that seemed never-end, at 16:35 parted with Gerry who headed to Heathrow. We boarded the flight SQ962 from Gate E11. It's a flight on a Boeing 777-300 standard SQ configuration. My seat number was 39C but it was already seated by a big gentleman ... I didn't mind switched seat with him, so I seated at window seat facing the wing.
Took off at 17:35+.
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[ aloysiusds ]

Beijing to Singapore, June 30, 2011
Hardly woke up on the wake up alarms: the Nexus One alarms at 4:45 and 5:00, and the desktop clock alarm snoozing at 4:48 and 5:05 ... all am of course ^_^
Thrown clothes into my Delsey trolley bag, a quick shower with an L'Occitane liquid soap ... to lighten up my morning with my Bunda's scene, final glance on the room, closed the door and as I pushed the 'down' arrow on the elevator, I got a call from my boss, Phil, reminded my that he and Gerry already assembled in the lobby as the clock shown 5:56.
I told him that I was on the way down and would join him soon.
I met Derrick just checking out, too.
...

Finally, at 6:10 we assembled altogether in the car to the Beijing Capital International Airport Terminal 3.
... Beijing International Airport is a massive huge airport... an amazing piece of marvel.
Checked in luggage and got boarding passes, we all had a breakfast in a noodle kiosk.
Passed the boarding hall's security check then walked to Gate E11. I shopped some souvenirs for families in Bandung.

At 08:30 I boarded the flight SQ803 on a retrofitted Boeing 777-200, seat no. 34C.
Brunched with oriental selection of Chinese braised pork with pickled vegetables, stirfried chicken with mushroom in red rice sauce, seasonal vegetables and fried rice, roll and butter, a cone of ice cream and a cup of english breakfast tea.

Landed at Changi Airport about 3 pm, disembarked at Terminal 2 gate F35.
Got prawn laksa and a can of Coke Zero at T2 2nd Floor Food court area sponsored by Gerry.
Opie & Phil joined in about half an hour later.


[ aloysiusds ]

Beijing to Singapore, June 30, 2011
Hardly woke up on the wake up alarms: the Nexus One alarms at 4:45 and 5:00, and the desktop clock alarm snoozing at 4:48 and 5:05 ... all am of course ^_^
Thrown clothes into my Delsey trolley bag, a quick shower with an L'Occitane liquid soap ... to lighten up my morning with my Bunda's scene, final glance on the room, closed the door and as I pushed the 'down' arrow on the elevator, I got a call from my boss, Phil, reminded my that he and Gerry already assembled in the lobby as the clock shown 5:56.
I told him that I was on the way down and would join him soon.
I met Derrick just checking out, too.
...

Finally, at 6:10 we assembled altogether in the car to the Beijing Capital International Airport Terminal 3.

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[ aloysiusds ]

At Singapore Changi airport, had laksa set.
For SQ810 destination Beijing: Board at terminal T3 gate A16, boarding process started at 4:20 p.m. selective seat rows were called at a time. Started with Rows 47 to 57. My seat 41G.
The flight was on a retrofitted Boeing 777-200. Took off at about 5:35 p.m.

Watched an epic thrill "Red Riding Hood" starred by Amanda Seyfried and Shiloh Fernandez.

Dinner on the air: International Selection
Appetiser: Potato and tuna salad.
Main course: panfried chicken in red wine with roasted vegetables and and potatoes. Cheese and crackers. Roll and butter and chinese tea. Closed with the ice cream.

Watched a romantic comedy movie "Hall Pass" starred by Owen Wilson, Jason Sudeikis, Jenna Fischer and Christina Applegate.

...
My readings tonight:
“Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.”

Have you ever been drafted or invited for a special assignment or mission away from your home, family, and job? Duty to country, kin, or church may call some of us to leave our familiar surroundings in order to serve elsewhere.
...

"Take, O Lord, and receive my entire liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my whole will. All that I am and all that I possess you have given me. I surrender it all to you to be disposed of according to your will. Give me only your love and your grace with these I will be rich enough and will desire nothing more. (Prayer of Ignatius Loyola, 1491-1556)

...

Landed in the massively large new Beijing airport a quarter to midnight before Tuesday.
Disembark walk, inter terminal train ride, immigration, and luggage claim process took about 40 minutes. Then Phil, Gerry, Derrick, Opie and I met with the hotel pickup. We went down to B1 floor to get a ride to Crowne Plaza Hotel in Chaoyang District of Beijing. It's just past 1:30 am as I dropped my bag in room 1916 that is in the Club Floor.
The room theme was yellow jade color ...
The last number I watched before dozing off was 2:43 on a desk clock on the right side of the queen size bed. I gotta wake up before 7 am to catch up the team to go to CAT Tower.



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[ aloysiusds ]

27 June 2011
Bunda dropped me to Cipaganti shuttle bus pool in Jl. Gatot Subroto Bandung to get 05:15 shuttle bus to Jakarta Soekarno Hatta Airport. I got a far right rear seat #10.

Arrived in Cengakreng - Soekarno Hatta Airport just before 9 a.m.
Checked in flight SQ957 CGK SIN departed at 11:40 Jakarta Time.
Landed in Changie Airport at 1:15 p.m. Got out of the plane about 20 minutes later to Terminal T2.

I was in the same flight with Derrick and Opie.

Singapore Airlines Aircraft fleet:
Singapore Airlines has 106 aircraft in its fleet. The average age of its aircraft as at July 1, 2011, is six years and four months, making the fleet one of the world's youngest and most fuel-efficient.

For B777-300, no. of aircraft 31 (include 19 B777-300ER, 4 retrofitted B777-300) No. of seats 332 (278 in ER, 284 in Retrofitted B777-300).
Length 73.9m wingspan 60.9m (64.8m for B777-300ER). Cruising speed 0.84 Mach.

B777-200 number of aircraft 35 (including 9 B777-200ER, 11 retrofitted B777-200) No. of seats 288 in 3-class configuration; 323 in 2-class config; (285 in ER) length 63.7m, wingspan 60.9m, cruising speed 0.84 Mach.

In aerodynamics, speed is measured by the Mach number. Mach 1 is the speed of sound and is equal to 761.5 mph at sea level.

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SIM Keliling Kota Bandung

SIM Keliling SATLANTAS POLRESTABES BANDUNG

Informasi tanggal 4 Juli 2011, jenis tarif atas penerimaan negara bukan pajak:
Formulir SIM A: Rp 80.000,-
Formulir SIM C: Rp 75.000,-
Masing-masing dikenakan tambahan biaya cek kesehatan Rp 25.000,- dan bea asuransi Rp 30.000,-

Jadi total biaya untuk perpanjangan SIM A adalah Rp 135.000,- dan untuk SIM C Rp 130.000,-

Jam buka pelayanan 08:00 - 21:00

Pelayanan "SIM Keliling" Polrestabes Bandung hanya melayani perpanjangan SIM A dan SIM C.

Persyaratan:
1. Membawa sim asli yang diterbitkan satlantas polrestabes Bandung (yang masa berlakunya telah habis kurang dari satu tahun)
2. Membawa ktp yang dikeluarkan dari kotamadya Bandung (resi ktp dan Kk jika ktp masa berlakunya habis)

Untuk informasi layanan: 022-70014885; 022-4203505.

Kesan atas pengalaman memperpanjang di layanan "SIM Keliling" tersebut:
- Kesan positif dan bagus! Dengan beberapa hal yang dapat ditingkatkan untuk meningkatkan kualitas layanan.
- Loket pendaftaran dilayani oleh dua orang petugas, informasi biaya dan persyaratan terpampang jelas di sekeliling mobivan sim keliling. Hari Senin 4 Juli 2011 pagi-pagi sekitar jam 8 saya mendapat nomor telepon layanan sim keliling dari Bunda. Harus menelepon untuk mengetahui posisi mobivan Sim keliling hari ini. *Seandainya saja sehari sebelumnya jadwal lokasi mobivan dapat diketahui; atau bila Satlantas Bandung punya website yang mengumumkan jadwal mobivan nya* Setelah bertanya, ternyata operasi mobivan sim keliling hanya berlangsung selama Bulan Bayangkara.
Kali ini mobivan nongkrong di pelataran Radio Dahlia di Jalan Burangrang no. 28.
- Setelah 'membeli' formulir isian perpanjangan sim dan mengisi data yang diminta, saya menyerahkan formulir tsb beserta fotokopi ktp dan sim asli (A dan C) sambil membayar biaya yang diperlukan (265ribu rupiah).
'Waiting time' hampir dua jam sampai waktu dipanggil masuk mobivan untuk diambil foto dan sidik jari dan mengkonfirmasi data-data diri. Petugas di dalam mobivan hanya satu orang, yang bertugas entry data termasuk mengambil foto dan sidik jari, dan mencetak SIM baru. Proses di dalam mobivan sekitar 5 menit untuk masing-masing SIM.

Hal yang dapat diperbaiki oleh para petugas: waktu respon dari penyerahan formulir (pendaftaran) sampai sim baru selesai dicetak. Bila data online, anggapan saya adalah data diri sebelumnya seharusnya sudah ada dan dapat mempercepat verifikasi data (dan pembaruan data, bila diperlukan). Juga, akan lebih bagus bila petugas sim keliling punya operator telepon sendiri yang berbeda dengan petugas pendaftaran, atau lebih bagus bila ada website - laman internet yang menjelaskan lokasi, waktu dan persyaratan layanan. Lalu biaya 'kesehatan' yang menurut hemat saya termasuk salah satu yang kurang jelas maksud dan tujuannya seyogyanya bisa dilebur jadi ke tarif resmi atau ditiadakan bila memang tidak perlu.

Hal yang sudah bagus dan patut dipertahankan: keramahtamahan dan ketanggapan petugas dalam melayani masyrakat yang datang dan bertanya.

Salam Bayangkara!

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San Diego May 2011 Travel Notes

Exported Wed Jun 01 11:32:57 GMT+07:00 2011
Notes
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[ aloysiusds ]

Tuesday, May 31, 2011.
Landed in Changie Singapore at 2 am. Disembarking at T3 Changie, Nita, Joe and I were hurried up to take Skytrain to T2. Its last service was 02:30 before resuming activities at 5 am.
Joe parted with Nita and me to go to PPS Club lounge at T2 while Nita and I went upstairs to see whether there was rooms available in T2 Transit Hotel.
We were not so lucky to get any rooms there but there was Ambassador Transit Lounge just opposite the transit hotel. So, we went there asking what kind of service available in the lounge, at least for nap and shower. There it was nap rooms available with common shower facility in the lounge. I checked in to get 3 hours nap room and extra 2 hours lounge facility usage, including free flow of light bites for breakfast.

So there I napped ... fortunately I got a good quality nap from 3 to 6 am. Well, perhaps not the best nap ever since I had to alert myself not to doze off too long. I got Bunda miscalled my phone for wake up call :)) thanks a lot, my love :-* as additional of my phone alarm and a knock at the wall for the wake up calls. Knock at the wall? Yup! The nap room, in fact was a massage cubicle for the lounge that has only curtains on each entrance opening. I got the room on the far side, of the massage hall, so it had one brick wall on my bedside while other side were wooden cubicle panels tall enough that prevented people to peek to other cubicle room. You can hear other room activities, though...

As I woke up, packing things back to bags and wore my shirt, spine brace and trouser, I joined Nita in the lounge. She was already ready, eating her portion of vegetarian rice noodles and busy with her laptop.
I was then asked her favor to keep an eye for my bags while I took my shower... first shower after two days :)) that sounds nothing new to me :))
The common shower room provided bath towels, and bath soap in the wall-mounted dispenser. Others were standard toiletries such as tissue papers and liquid hand soap. There were four toilet in the left side (one large toilet for handicapped), and three shower rooms on the right side. Three wash basins just after the entrance door.


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[ aloysiusds ]

Landed in Narita Tokyo about 19:20... it took more than 15 minutes for the plane to taxi. Another 15 minutes to disembark from plane to transit hall... passing security check - again - was about another solid 20 minutes.
Met Nita and Joe in boarding hall. Well, Ms. Nita awaited just outside the bridge off the plane then walked together to pass security check.
Not long, boarding call was announced for Elite and PPs club passengers.

Dinner:
Appetizer: Zensai (smoked salmon)
Noodles: Japanese cold noodles
Main course : braised pork and cabbage with Hoiroko sauce and steamed rice
Light bites: rice crackers. Haagendas ice ceam. Roll and butter with green tea.
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[ aloysiusds ]

Boarding SQ12 at 15:05. The flight was in Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, seat 54H. The steward served a hot towel as the welcome refreshment.
The plane took off taxied to runway ready for takeoff at 15:50. It blasted off to the air just at about 4 pm.

LAX weather was bright sunny day with some clouds.

Up in the sky as the plane reached its altitude, the first up-in-the-air refreshment was a small serving of peanuts and I chose white wine as the drink.

First movie I watched in Krisworld's LCD screen was 'The Tourist', an action-comedy movie starred by Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp.

Dinner on International selection:
Appetizer : marinated prawns with crispy romaine lettuce on cesar dressing.

Main course: grilled chicken breast with mushroom sauce, buttered vegetables and potato with onion.
Cheese and crackers with roll and butter. A serving of white wine and closed with a cup of cream coffee.

Movie: Gulliver's Travel.

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[ aloysiusds ]

I checked out of Residence Inn by Marriott hotel at 09:30, met Nita. The hotel's shuttle bus driver had to drop passenger to USS Midway Museum before drop us in SD Terminal 2. Oops, wrong terminal. We had to check in our flight at Domestic Commuter Terminal between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2.
Checked in the bag. It will go all the way to Jakarta. I hope ^_^

At security screening, I got private security screening by TSA ... had to go through personal x-ray chamber and then officer screening because I wore my TLSO spine brace.

We came earlier than Joe. He gotta checking out his rented car and took shuttle bus from National Rental Car to airport terminal. He got dropped to the wrong terminal, too, because he said to the bus driver that his flight was by American Airlines. In fact was that air ticket was issued by AA but the flight to LA is operated by American Eagle. Looks like it's a common mistake that in that Terminal 2 drop off point we can find an announcement board telling that flight from SD to LAX by AA is at Terminal 1. Wait a minute! It is not Terminal 1 but Commuter Terminal. We need someone to stop this pain-in-the-a**. Why SD Airport have the wrong information board? How many people have been mislead and spend more time and efforts to find this commuter terminal to fly from SD to LAX? Joe had to spend more money to get a taxi ride from Terminal 1 to Commuter Terminal because he thought that he wouldn't have enough time to checked in and pass through security screening if he had to wait another shuttle bus from Terminal 1 to the Commuter Terminal.

Another 24+ hours to go back home.

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[ aloysiusds ]

Tokyo to Los Angeles
At 17:00 arrived in Narita Tokyo for a transit. Reboarding the plane at 18:40.
Dinner menu I chose was another International Selection :
Ham with creamy potato salad as the appetizer. Main course was Panfried Salmon in pesto veloute with vegetables and mashed potato. A roll and butter, cheese and crackers and the dessert of mixed berries mousse cake. Summed up by Chardonnay white wine.
Accompanied by movie "I Am Number Four".


Before touch-down meals :
Fruit appetizer, Salmon Shio yaki (salted salmon with omelette, vegetables and steamed rice). With butter - fruit preserve and assorted breakfast roll. Along with a cup of green tea.

Touch down on LAX at 12:20.
Got out from immigration check at around 1 pm.
Proceed to checkin counter to get my boarding pass for LAX - San Diego.

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[ aloysiusds ]

Turbulence

It doesn't affect the aircraft safety, therefore it can not affect the routine continuation of a flight in commercial aircraft.

There are 3 types of situations that causing turbulence :
1. Terrain turbulence. Exists in flying over uneven terrain or mountainous areas on a warm day. On a hot day when warm air rises above uneven surfaces such as hills, mountains and deep canyon, unstable air layers are formed over uneven ground.
Flying in such region will cause the aircraft to yaw and pitch for a simple reason that the air js not flowing smoothly around and under it.
This is the kind of turbulence we could encounter while flying over the Alps in Europe, over the Rockies in North America, over the Himalayas or in southern China.
This kind of turbulence can also be experienced while taking off and landing at certain airports surrounded by hills - Zurich, Denver, Hongkong and Bandung are such examples.
Its main characteristic is its short duration. The moment the plane leaves this area, the air becomes smooth and stable again, and so does the flight.

2. Appears during flight near or in clouds.
In or near clouds, there are vertical air currents creating unstablr flow of air. When we flow through them, the aircraft is affected and can be buffeted horizontally and vertically. Thin layer clouds create

3. Clear air turbulence (CAT) or a fair weather turbulence.
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[ aloysiusds ]

Lunch from Singapore to Tokyo
I chose International Selection:
Appetizer : Smoked Salmon with Asian Slaw and creamy sesame dressing.
Main course: Panfried chicken in mustard sauce with stewed vegetables and potatoes. Roll and butter. Cheese and crackers. Ice cream dessert. White whine Chardonnay and tea.

Accompanied by Nicolas Cage 'Season Of The Witch' and Natalie Portman 'No Strings Attached' movies.
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[ aloysiusds ]

20 May 2011:
Left Bandung by 0500 shuttle bus to Soekarno Hatta Airport Jakarta to get 11:40 SQ957 Boeing 777-300 flight to Singapore.
Arrived in Singapore about 2:30 p.m.
Arrived almost 4 o'clock and stayed overnight at Furama Riverfront Hotel room 1335.

21 May 2011:
Departed from Singapore on a Singapore Airlines' Boeing 777-300ER SQ12 flight at 09:25 (gmt +8). Destination Los Angeles via Narita Tokyo. Seat 32K.

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Awal Hari Ke-7 di Tahun 2011

Memulai hari dengan lambat di tempat kerja. Cuaca mendung dan sedikit gerimis pagi ini.
Ayah bertekad memulai lagi menuliskan apa saja yang dapat diceritakan untuk semua mulai dari hari ini dalam bentuk blogs setelah sempat terhenti sekian lama.

Sekarang, ayah di dalam kantor container di komplex Kampung Rogner - di dalam J.Ray McDermott Batam Fabrication Yard, Batam - Indonesia. Sendiri saja di dalam kontainer ini setelah tadi pagi ditemani sebentar oleh Syahman, vendor Emerson dari Singapura. Di dalam kontainer kecil ini tersedia tiga meja berjajar menghadap dinding, ayah mengambil tempat duduk di paling ujung di dekat pendingin udara. Helm selalu dipakai untuk melindungi kepala dari semburan AC yang pas di atas kepala.