Greetings from Solo

Solo cuisine

with key guests at Goela Kelapa Restaurant

(posh2)

see my name on the bunting?

(wink2)

artistic looking ceiling of the conference hall

cantik betul

I flew in this morning direct from KL (Air Asia). If Tony Fernandes is reading this: hey man, do something about the Air Asia Airport.It stinks! (my first international flight with Air Asia).When you fly cheap (I just wanted to fly direct from KL to Solo which is only 2 hours away on Air Asia.If I took MAS..lama la pulak via Jakarta..change flight...yawn...fly over Merapi..maybe..), expect cheap things to happen. 

Anyway, it was an on and off thing with me and Solo.Yesterday and the days before, all airports to Indonesia via KL and Spore were closed.I thought I'd not be able to make it to Solo today.Merapi was still erupting wild.The family's concerned, friends thought I was crazy to go when people were trying to fly out.Obama postponed his trip, what (but now he's coming home again on a 24-hour visit. Oh Ba-Ma, please fly to Solo! Hahaha) 

I was nervous all the 2-hour trip.I saw clouds..though not dark, were thick.I was very2 quiet although the 2 passengers next to me were chatty (one was trying to sell some direct selling products! Duh! I got suspicious when he said he had lived in KL for 12 years and often flew back to Indonesia..but later, I wonder why he asked me to fill his immigration form.At point of being asked, I thought he was illiterate and since my life was hanging on air..I thought I'd do some nice charitable things... just in case...so I filled in not only his form but also the lady's next to him! She was genuinely illiterate..a returning maid...going home for the eid) 

Sari and Yuyun met me at the airport and took me to lunch.Both of them were educated in Australia so we connected well. :)) Then met up with the other people.We went to visit a pasantren said to have initiated by Bashir (yup, the one accused of JW Marriott bombing). The students were involved in Merapi community work.I wanted to donate some money.Then we went to visit another NGO...the members were also doing shifts at Merapi (they helped bury some 64 dead bodies today).What is nice to know is Mercy Malaysia and Malaysian Global Peace are among the most active NGOs at Merapi.Mercy takes care of medical needs and Global Peace takes care of water supply (their engineers have their hands full here).One guy asked me if I wanted to join their next trip to Merapi (only 2 hours away).I looked at Sari, signalling "Do you want to?" Hahaha..she gave me a quick no. 

I love Solo, folks (I love anywhere!) but honestly, this city has character, is very clean (there's this guy..the wali kota... who has changed this city within a short span of time..I'll get his name tomorrow) and very, very modern.It's a commercial centre with lots of foreign investors coming in to invest (no wonder Air Asia has faith in making Solo as one of its stops).It's livable with lots of culture and history.

Lots of things to do and see.I have not stopped eating too.I just had dinner with guests from the US and India and met some old friends based in Indonesia (like Melani, based in Jakarta but who I often meet abroad in conferences..last was in Seoul). I hope my stay will be safe and I'll fly back to KL without any 'adventure'.They are afraid that there'd be a huge flood cos' the rivers are clogged with muds and deposits from Merapi. Please pray for me.

footnote: wali kota itu ialah Jokowi yang kemudiannya menjadi Presiden Indonesia yang dinamik (ini ditulis in 2021)