89 Hotel in Batam Indonesia

There is a hotel in Batam that is called the 89 Hotel. It is located in Penuin area in Nagoya. The nearest mall to this hotel will be the Plaza Top 100 and also the BCS Mall - the Batam City Square Mall. Walking distance to these 2 malls is approximately 15 - 20 minutes.



I have taken some photos of this 89 Hotel and posted it in my website at - Indonesiapics.com .I have not stay in this 89 Hotel before so I will not be posting any comment about the room or services. I was there relatively early at about 11.30 am wanting to check in but was told to come back in about 1 hour time. Not wanting to wait, I went to visit the BCS Mall and Plaza Top 100.
Thereafter, I decide to move on from there. I will try to take some time to stay there in the near future.



Overall, the exterior of 89 Hotel looks well maintained. However, the location is slightly remote - you need to take a cab if you want to go to the town center of Nagoya. Next to the hotel there are no convenience store if you want to buy some food or drinks. Plaza Top 100 is on the left of this hotel and you need to cross the road first.




For more information about Batam and Indonesia, visit our website at - Indonesiapics.com
For information about Singapore and Johor Bahru Malaysia, go to our website at - ImageSingapore.com

Sekupang Ferry Terminal in Batam

I do not normally land at Sekupang Ferry Terminal when I go to Batam. Like most people, I will land in Batam Center Ferry Terminal. But on one particular occasion, due to a peak demand, I have decided to take a ferry trip to Sekupang Ferry Terminal.

If you compare the two ferry terminals, Sekupang Ferry Terminal is much quieter. There are much less people landing at this terminal. Years ago, it used to be a worn out building. But now it is clean, modern and the custom clearance is efficient and fast. So why is it attracting less traffic than Batam Center Ferry Terminal? My answer is that in Sekupang, when you step out of the terminal, there is practically nothing interesting. The only thing that you can do is to a cab and head straight to Batam main town center. However if you land at Batam Center Ferry Terminal, you have the option of going the Mega Mall, which is just opposite this ferry terminal. It is a good mall with lots of food outlets and a major supermarket.

The distance to town from both ferry terminals are almost the same. It takes about 30 minutes to reach the town center from the both ferry terminals. I think the authorities of Batam should look into developing the areas near to the Sekupang Ferry Terminal. Add a major shopping mall, a hotel, a post office, a bank and perhaps an office building. This is definitely drive more traffic to this quiet ferry terminal. There is a taxi counter just outside the ferry terminal, prices are fixed depending on the location where you are going. Because it is relatively a quiet terminal, I do not recommend anyone to land there during the night, unless you have someone to pick you up from there.

I have posted some photos of Sekupang Ferry Terminal here, for more photos of this ferry terminal or locations in Batam, visit our website at - Indonesiapics.com
If you need to know more about Singapore and Johor Bahru Malaysia, go to our website at - ImageSingapore.com

Billboards In Jakarta

It seems that the Jakarta administration is studying whether the traditional billboards that are currently seen and used in Jakarta can be replaced by the newer version - the LCD billboard. They wanted start it off to see whether the LCD billboards can be used on the top of the buildings, because traditional billboards collapsed during stormy weather or persistent strong winds.




You can see thousands of billboards in the city of Jakarta. It seems that the advertisers have the mentality that the bigger the billboard, the better will be the results. The billboards are there to catch the attention of drivers and pedestrians on the road or walkways. Many of these billboards have very colorful and distinctive visuals and catchy witty slogans. Sometimes too many billboards on the road may give the impression of untidy and chaotic streets or highways. Perhaps it is because these billboards are not properly organized or layout on the roads or buildings. Personally I like billboards as they add color and vibrancy to the place. If I am stuck in the congested traffic in Jakarta, I do glance at the billboards around me.



I do hope that the traditional billboards that are around will still be used for a long time to come. It will be disappointing to see LCD billboards replacing the current ones. In fact, I see that the LCD and traditional billboards can co-exist in harmony. LCD billboards need electricity for it to work and this may drive up advertisement costs and eventually the cost of the product itself. The Jakarta administration has to remember that just last year, the cost of fuel and electricity had shot up to the roof, before tampering off because of the global recession. Also, there is the common problem of frequent power failures and disruptions in this city.




For photos and information on Indonesia, visit our website at - Indonesiapics.com




If you are looking for information/photos/videos on Singapore & Johore, go to our website at - ImageSingapore.com

Lottery Scams

The global economy has been flushed into the toilet. Millions of people around the world have lost their jobs. Businesses are losing money or simply gone bankrupt. In this difficult times, many people have turn to religions for comfort, while many more have turn to buying lottery tickets - it is their only glimmer of hope to get out of their financial misery.
Most of us have heard of the Nigerian scams. They promised to pay you big money if you agree to help them recover their so called cash locked in some banks overseas. Yet thousands of people around the world still became prey of these scams. And many of these people who are swindled are well educated professionals. Why? One of the main reason is because of GREED. It is greed that drives rational people to make irrational decisions. It is the desire to want more and the fear of losing out; that turn intelligent men into clueless clowns.
I receive scam mails very frequently through my mailbox. One of the most frequently used method of scam is the Lottery Scams. Here is one of the example that landed in my mailbox:-

Subject:
YOU HAVE WON US$820,000.00
From:
"CANADIAN LOTTERY (lotto lore)" (Add as Preferred Sender) ?
Date: Sat, Mar 14, 2009 2:09 am
To:
YOU HAVE WON US$820,000.00


Canadian National Lottery (Lotto lore)
Address: 2nd Floor Chiltern House
St Nicholas Court
25 - 27 Castlegate
Nottingham NG1 7AR,
United Kingdom


WINNING PRIZE NOTIFICATION

CONGRATULATIONS!

Dear Lucky Winner,

We happily announce to you the result of the National Lotto 6/49 lottery draws held on March 4, 2009 in Nottingham United Kingdom and Ontario, Canada. All participants were selected randomly from World Wide Web site through computer draws system and extracted from over 10,000,00 companies and personal e-mail addresses.

Your e-mail address attached to ticket number: B95647560 4545 100 with serial number 046560 drew the winning numbers 15/18/19/21/24/35 and Bonus 37

You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum $820,000.00 in cash credited to file EAAL/9080118308/08. Please note that your lucky winning numbers fall within our West Africa booklet representative office in Cote D`Ivoire as indicated in your play coupon. In view of this, $820,000.00 would be released to you by an accredited commercial Bank in Cote D`Ivoire. Our Cote D`Ivoire agent will immediately commence the process to facilitate the release of your funds as soon as you contact their office.

To file for your claim, please contact our corresponding agent in Cote D`Ivoire immediately you read this message for quick and urgent release of your fund,

Contact information is as follow: -


Contact information is as follow:
Name: Mr. Eric Johnson
Email: xxxxxxx
Tel: xxxxxxx

Maybe one day, I shall write back and tell them to credit US$800,000 into my bank account and thereafter I will credit 1o,000,000 into their bank account. That 10 million will be in Indonesian rupiah. It is my way of saying thank you to these idiotic pigs who goes around doing evil things. To these evil devils who make a living out of scamming innocent people, I have a message for you - May You Rot In HELL. And to those people who have fallen into these scams - Serve You Right for being GREEDY. Now take this expensive lesson as a learning experience; and never have a GREED mentality again. You can be as successful as you want to be, it is a gift that God has given you; and the name of this gift is called WORK.

People must realized that there is no such thing as easy money. Cash does not fall into your lap. Schemes or businesses that promise lucrative and easy cash in return for your investment are mostly scams. In this difficult times, it is paramount that you must protect your savings and assets. If you have decided to try your luck in lottery, make sure that you are buying a legitimate state lottery ticket. And do not spend too much money on buying lottery ticket. If you do, then you are gambling. I always advice those who buy lottery tickets not to spend more than $50/- a month. For myself, I do not gamble, I do not buy lottery tickets and I have no interest in visiting casinos. I firmly believe that LUCK is always with me so long as I work diligently and stay focus on my goals.

For more information about Indonesia - visit our website at Indonesiapics.com. For information/photos on Singapore, visit our website at ImageSingapore.com

Indonesian Food - Asian Top Cuisine

Indonesian food is so popular that in many countries of the world, you can find restaurants claiming to serve authentic Indonesian cuisine. The wonderful thing about Indonesian food is that there is no single cuisine that is the representation of Indonesian cuisine. In fact it is so diversify that you will be perhaps overwhelmed by it. However, there are certain food in Indonesia that are very common and popular. Examples are nasi goreng, satay, bakso, rendang, tempe, tahu, otak otak, chendol, etc. Indonesian food has a unique spicy flavor, however it does not mean that it is a hot and spicy.Coconut milk, sugar and spices are commonly used in the preparation of Indonesian food.




There are people who asked me whether Indonesian food is extremely high in cholestrol. I think it depends on what you are ordering. You can order food that is steam or non deep fried food. There are chicken or fish soups that are clear ( just like chinese soup) without adding coconut milk or sugar. Put it this way, a trip to a fast food restaurant serving beef burgers and french fries are high in cholestrol and salt. I think the best solution for those who enjoy eating good food is to do physical exercise. Make sure that you follow a routine to exercise at least 3 or 4 times a week. I enjoy taking a stroll, so I do it almost everyday. I find that physical exercise is good not only for the body; more importantly it relaxes the mind as well.




When you are in Indonesia, you don't have to go to fancy Indonesian restaurants to enjoy good Indonesian food. Of course if you can afford it, by all means do so. But do bear in mind that some of the best Indonesian food that I have tasted are being served in a humble small food outlets or by the street vendors. The prices of food from these humble food stalls are so low that it will put a broad smile on your face. Most of the Indonesian food that you order will be served together with rice. Rice is the staple food for all Indonesian irregardless whether you are super rich or poor. You can see white rice, fried rice, yellow rice, rice wrapped in leaves, rice used in deserts, etc. Just take your time to try them. Don't forget to try the deserts as well such as Es Chendol, cakes ( lapis ) crackers made from fish, prawns or vegetable ( krupuk ), tempe ( made of soya bean ), and many more delicious snacks.



For more information on Indonesia, visit our website at - Indonesiapics.com. For information on Singapore, check out - ImageSingapore.com

Planting Trees in Indonesia

A couple of years ago, there was lack of awareness on the importance of planting trees. In Jakarta, you can hardly see trees on the pedestrian walkways; and there is a total lack of greenery and parks in the city. Recently I can see the sense of change in the attitudes of the government towards the importance of having more greenery.


Recently the First lady of Indonesia of lead the way towards the campaign of tree planting. She was quoted - "In the future, the number of trees in Indonesia should increase as rapidly as its population. " She encourage parents to plant a tree for every child that is born. Now that is a wonderful thing to do. The Governor of Jakarta has also embarked on a green plan of planting more trees and the creation of parks in the city. The creation of parks in Jakarta will definitely be welcome by the people staying in the city. Right now, you get to see lots of shopping malls, hotels and tall offices but you can hardly find any parks.


In Balikpapan, Aceh and Bandung the local governments have make it compulsory for young couples to plant a tree before they can get married. Is that to extreme? I don't think so. Because planting trees is not an expensive thing to do and it reinforce the principle of caring for the environment.Young people in Indonesia should be taught on the importance of trees. Trees is an essential component to our environment, it adds value and beautify the landscape. It provide us with shade and cleans up the air. Trees also acts as a effective sound barrier and is the best solution towards the fight against soil erosion.

For more information about Indonesia, visit our website at - Indonesiapics.com. For information on Singapore & Malaysia, visit our site at - ImageSingapore.com

By-Laws and Challenging the Real Problems in Indonesia

It is interesting to read from the news that the newly appointed Court Chief of Indonesia, Mr Mohammad Mahfud has called for a scrapping of Syariah based by-laws. In his views, these by-laws are not constitutionally or legally correct; and these by-laws clearly discriminate against the minority groups in Indonesia. Furthermore, he added that these by-laws threatens national integrity and are against the Principles of Pancasila.




The late President Sukarno who saw the need to unite a huge and diversified archipalego with different cultures and practices created the Principles of Pancasila. This set of principles provides the platform for unity and justice among all people in Indonesia. However, the Pancasila is being interpreted in many different forms from different groups in Indonesia. These groups are there primarily to serve their self interest and promoting their own agendas even if it clearly contradict the principles of national intergrity, social equality and justice.




Thousands of by-laws have been passed by regional states in Indonesia. There are by-laws for Islamic dress codes and behavior, anti-littering, anti-busking, anti-prostitution; a by-law that banned begging on the streets and making it a criminal offence for anyone who give money to beggars. The regional lawmakers seem to have this strange beliefs that by creating by-laws, all problems will be gone and resolved. If the lawmakers are sincerely keen in resolving pressing issues in their regions, perhaps they should passed the following by-laws:-

1) a by-law to ensure that every child gets an education and proper medical care. There is no excuse for young kids to be roaming the streets begging or picking up usable garbage or selling stuffs. Regional government must ensure that every kid has an opportunity to go to school; irregardless of social status or level of income.

2) a by-law to ensure that the people staying in their region have access to clean water, electricity and affordable medical care.

3) a by-law to tackle corruption practices and red tapes that are rampant especially in the regional government bureaucracy itself.

4) a by-law to actively promote investment and tourism in their region, so that there will be more job opportunities for the people and the creation and support of small micro-businesses for the unemployed and women.




These are just some of the real pressing problems that are facing the people of Indonesia. With soaring fuel and food prices, the poor and even the middle class people are finding that life have become a daily struggle. May I suggest to these regional states lawmakers and officers to get out of their comfortable offices and get in touch with the people on the streets; especially the poor. There are lots of work that needs to be done; and these lawmakers have the burden of responsibility to work for the people.