Bandung - An Airport in Dire Straits

I flew to Bandung via AirAsia's A320. My entrance to Bandung is via it's only airport - Husein Sastranegara International Airport. Having visited countless cities & experienced more than 25 airports, I can safely say that this is the worst airport - by any standards. The reasons are as such:

1. For Military or Commercial Use?
I was told that this was initially a military airport. But much of this airport has been converted for civilian use. I guess the thriving city of Bandung makes monetary sense for such a decision. However, the approach in handling such a conversion has been slow. A classic example is that the plans for the airport runway to be thickened from Pavement Classification Number (PCN) 37 cm to PCN 52 cm in mid-2010. Such a decision was made so as to accommodate larger narrowbody aircraft, such as Airbus A320. In April 2011, an Airbus A320 had landed successfully, although the 2,250-metre-long (7,380 ft) runway overlay was less than 50-percent complete.

2. Exceeded Handling Capacity
Imagine filling 800ml of water into a 500ml bottle. No one can do that. Yet Bandung tried to execute this. It isn't magic and hence, the dramtatic failure in coping with the large number of passengers. In 2010, there are 1.3 million passengers annually, but the airport is only capable of handling 1 million passengers a year. I wonder what the passenger figures are like in 2012. As the city modernises, how can it depend on an airport that is so constrained to meet its growing needs?

3. Limited Terminal Size
Currently, as of Jun 2012, the airport only has 1 passenger terminal - used for domestic and international flights. The area of the terminal is 2,412 square metres. That's about the floor area of 2 big bungalows & it has to handle 1.3 million passengers! It was mentioned that another terminal was being developed. Geesh, should that have been developed a long time ago? Would the airport even be ready? And even if it is ready, how long can both airports wait before they reach their maximum capacity?

4. Poor Departure Flow

There were only 3 queues to 'see' the immigration officer, but 2 commercial flights arrived within minutes of one another. I was also glad that our flight was minutes before the other. The passengers' queue was so long that it stretched into the apron. The baggage collection was via 1 pathetic 8m conveyor - on the right. Jams were created as passengers loitered after the immigration point waiting for their bags. It was made worse that we have to create a haphazard queue to screen our bags prior to leaving the terminal. The whole departure experience - was daunting. I had never felt so cramped in any other airports before.

Whilst airport are just points of transit, they are the 1st impression that tourists receive. And that first impression I have of Bandung - has made me wondered if I will ever fly into Bandung - ever again...

Indulgence in Food

I seldom exercise nowadays. Hence, in order not to expand horizontally, I have constantly reminded myself to watch my diet. Sometimes, my reminders work, sometimes they don't. Afterall, sinful food always taste so delicious and yummy that I just have to order them to savour the taste... Though more often than not, I do gulp them down to fill up the void in my stomach.

The easiest example I can find is that of the hawker centre. There is an unlimited array of food choices. And if we have to taste as many as we could, it might end up as one main dish per person, with side dishes of rojak, popiah, dessert, you tiao, carrot cake, etc. Afterall, there is a need to evaluate which is the best dish. This was a photo of a value-for-money Nasi Lemak that I consumed today. It comprises of uniquely green coconut rice, a big otah, some vegetable and a huge chicken drumstick and thigh. The taste was so good that I forgot how unhealthy it really was.

Anoother recent example was that of a marble cheese frappe I recently had. It looked ordinary, but was richly filled with marble cheese. I wondered how many calories it contained. I wasn't sure, but I knew this was only the drink. My dinner comprised of a Western-styled main course and an add-on of 3 chicken wings.

Food continue to taste so good that keeping fit and slim seems like a uphill challenge. I just have to constantly remind myself that I am getting old. And an old man requires less calories for sustainence. Maybe this new reminder might help...

Dreams - Easy to Create, Hard to Hold on

Dreams - I have many of those. No, not those that people have whilst they sleep at night, because I can barely remember them when I wake up. But those dreams that form your goals, and ultimately turn into your accomplishments.

Dreams - I thought of going overseas to work, I dreamed of being a doctor, I imagined the days in which I would be a rich businessman, I considered the possibility of being a pilot... And the list goes on and on.

Moving forth, I realised that these dreams were probably set unrealistically. And so I lowered my expectations and tried to dream of more achieveable goals. And hence, I dreamed of (i) jogging once a week, (ii) planning for my Masters, (iii) setting proper financial and savings plans, etc.

Till date, I created endless dreams - some high and all-mighty, others low and simplistic. Yet they are so hard to achieve.

I am beginning to reflect - on whether there's a need to even dream in the 1st place.

Why People Commit Suicide

Recently, there has been a spate of suicide cases - with special attention being given to MBS for its preferred location. I asked - 'Why do people commit suicide? Why do they want to end their lives?' And I seemed to know the answer.

In general, we live - for a purpose. (Sometimes, we set several goals so that we can push ourselves to achieve more out of life.) But when that purpose starts to fade, one might find that there is no more meaning left to live for. Another reason is when there are no more solutions to solve one's problems. (The best example comes from Mediacorp dramas where an actor would commit suicde when he cannot find any further alternatives to pay off his huge outstanding debts.) Whilst suicie might not re-ignite the purpose nor provide the solution, it would definitely end one's suffering.

Bandung - a city or a drink

We went for a 5-day holiday to Bandung, Indonesia. When friends asked what's nice in Bandung, I quickly replied, ‘That sweet pink drink was the tastiest I had in my life’. Oh please, we did not even see the existence of such drinks during our Bandung stay. I wondered who came up with this name.

It seems uniquely Singapore. Afterall, I had the pleasure to play host to 3 Dutch consultants some time ago. After a meeting, I brought them to an air-conditioned food court. One asked – for the local specialities. Being the friendly Singaporean, I recommended food that were unique, such as chicken rice, laksa and fried kway teow. One of them bought the latter and commented on the wonderful taste. Of course, it tasted wonderful. I mean, anything cooked with excess oil would taste wonderful.

When it came to drinks, they asked me to buy – the local drinks. I bought chin chow, soya and bandung. To think that they were generally adventurous – was my mistake. They drank the chin chow and soya drinks. But none wanted to take the bandung. One said, ‘Anything pink – is not a food colour and it’s not edible’.

If what he said - makes sense, then Singaporeans definitely love drinking odd-coloured inedible drink that’s uniquely Singapore.

A Review of Carrcadin in Bandung

We stayed in Carrcadin Business and Entertainment Hotel for 4 nights. Amidst the limited range of hotels in tripadvisor, I chose what I thought was the most 'value-for-money' stay (SGD 91 per night). The several PLUS points of the hotel were:

(i) SPACIOUS ROOMS. The room has a study table, executive chair, coffee table and a sofa. Most hotels just have a study table and a chair - and yet it could have tight spaces with little space for maneuvering. Though I thought the spaciousness of the room be improved with more appropriate lighting.

(ii) PLENTIFUL TV CHANNELS. As we did not stay out late in town, our nights were spent watching interesting shows, from channels such as Animal Planet, HBO, Discovery Channel, etc. We covered numerous episodes of Desperate Housewives 8, US Masterchef, Amazing Race 20 and Spartacus.

(iii) UNDER-UTILISED HOTEL. I hate hotels that give us a crowded feel. For e.g., I don't have to fight for breakfast nor queue at the reception. Hence, it's a plus point for us, though it's probably something that hotel needs to work on. There was never a queue nor a wait when I had my breakfast or head to the reception counter.

(iv) CHEAP HOTEL FOOD. I know how expensive hotel food can be, but Carrcadin serves food that is value-for-money. We paid 60,000 Rp (SGD 8.45) for pasta and a drink at an hotel. Relatively cheap - considering that this is room service, but waiting time could be improved. It took 35 mins for pasta to be served. In addition, the food for their Friday night BBQ could be improved, in terms of BBQing their food to perfection. I rather they turned down the volume of their band and focus on their food. We received a couple of fishes that were not completely cooked. Then again, I can't complain much if I pay only 60,000 Rp (SGD 8.45) for the BBQ buffet, can I?

P/s: I have to remember that Agoda's hotel booking feature can be pretty-misleading. There was no confirmation page - to state the total price payable - before proceeding to charge to my credit card.

Snow White & the Hunstmen

We watched 'Snow White & the Huntsmen' in Bandung Indonesia. In many ways, this was a value-for-money film. Firstly, it costed only Rp 25,000 (SGD 3.50) - it's even cheaper than Johor Bahru's movie ticket price of MYR 14 (SGD 5.80). It's one-third the price of a movie ticket in Singapore, which means we can watch 3 movies in Indonesia for the price of 1.

Secondly, both the cineplex and its surrounding facilites are superb. The theatre was clean; seats were comfortable; the sound system was just right. The movie started rather on-time though, with little/no time allocated for advertisements. The cineplex was loated in Cihampelas Walk - a upbeat, modern four-storeyed shopping complex that allowed movie-goers to shop and eat.

Thirdly, the movie was worthy of being called a blockbuster. My favourite character was Queen Ravenna. With Charlize Theron acting in the role, she was able to act out the devious and yet calm character whilst showcasing her beauty. The movie was well-paced. The story built up into a climax where Snow White took command of the Duke's army and promised to defeat Ravenna by leading them into war. Through the Dwarves' assistance in opening the gates, the Duke's army managed to invade the Castle. Yet another showdown ensued - with a confrontation between Snow White and Queen Ravenna.

Joyful Reunion (飲食男女—好遠又好近)

I watched Joyful Reunion, which was billed as a sequel to Ang Lee’s ‘Eat Drink Man Woman'. The film relies on the same concept of mixing food and human relationships. The film's focus is on a narratively uneven tale about two families in China and Taiwan, delivered with a message of reunification.

I always appreciate films that deliver messages and leaves viewers in a state of reflection. But instead of reflecting, I thought the film was poorly directed that it leaves so many gaps - leaving me to ponder with the message of whether they could have done better.

The gaps are as such:
1. Set in modern-day China (with the use of iPhone 4), both characters, chef Tang Shizhe and Pai Ping, recalled about the past. The past should have occurred around 1940, as it was the start of war in China. With a difference of 72 years, shouldn't the characters be approximately 88 years old? Shouldn't these old people struggle to walk, rather than show that ability to dance in clubs?

2. Both Shizhe and Pai Ping have vastly different characters. Yet they were lovers when they were 16 years old. What made them like each other in the first place?

3. Both Wa’er and boyfriend, Chang Chuan  lived in different worlds. With no attempt to indulge us in their characters, we were not able to understand what was his initial character strength that attracted Wa'er?

4. There was no climax and no twist. There was also no need to guess the ending. Afterall, the title of the movie says it all. The entire plot has been summarised into 2 words, and all of us know the 2 words.

Well, I think I just became a harsh movie critic...