Mercure hotel Jakarta

Mercure hotel Jakarta, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

My first time in Jakarta. The flight was nice. Sat beside two old ladies just back from Haj. The three of us slept through the bulk of the flight. No small senseless chit chat for us tired ladies. Food on MAS wasn't that nice. I arrived feeling nauseous. The immigration was smooth with no long line unlike most other airport. What was tiring, was the long journey from airport to Hotel. 2.5 hours. This is the hotel. Lovely!! Free wifi...nice modern designs and super friendly staff. I'll shall update re food tomorrow.


More about mercure hotel:
1. It has 232 rooms. All decorated in a modern fashion.
2. It is close to the  the central business district.
3. it is 15 minutes away ( by taxi) from Jakarta's version of KLCC which is called Pondok Indah Mall.

Here is the GPS coordinate
GPS :S 6° 17' 29.94'' E 106° 46' 45.34''

Hotel address

Jl R A Kartini No 18
Lebak Bulus
12440 SOUTH JAKARTA
INDONESIA

Violin practice even when away attending a course

Violin practice even when away attending a course, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

I brought the violin with me to Melaka. First trip for the violin and it was a painless trip. No mishaps. And no sunning for it. Otherwise the wood may warp and the sound may be worse than what I play on it. Exam is on the 1st of August. Both teacher and student realise the high probability of failing. And both are suitably depressed

Keropok lekor being fried for buffet lunch

Keropok lekor being fried for buffet lunch, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

Hotel Seri Malaysia Melaka is located at Ayer Keroh. It's very near the highway and you'll drive pass it and miss it if you're not careful. The haze ( as the radio and TV say) in Melaka is worse than KL. The smell of smoke is constant and if you're sensitive your eyes may smart a little ( like mine) and you may experience some chest tightness, which is transient if you move indoors quickly.

This hotel was a contrast to the Equatorial Hotel ( I stayed there one night...bridging therapy between the CPG course and this UKM course) Here are things you may want to know before staying here.

1. There is no iron in the room. And no they do not send irons to rooms on request. They provide a communal ironing area. ( Not a problem for holiday-makers who wear T-shirts mostly but a problem for me with my predominant cotton based wardrobe)

2. There is no lift. If you have a big bag with wheels, be prepared to lug it upstairs. And be sure to choose a room on the 1st floor at least. ( Mine was on the third at the VERY end of the world)

3.Parking isn't a problem but it is outdoors.
4. There is free wifi and you can access it even in my nook of the world.
5. The staff are friendly and efficient.
6. The food is good. THe plates are cleared pretty promptly and the selection of desserts are quite nice.
7. The pool is small But I think it looks nice. (picture in next post probably)
8.There is no bathtub so don't get ideas of soaking at the end of the day. It won't be possible.
9.They serve super fresh keropok lekor...(see picture above)
10. The shower is brilliant. Nice strong pressure and the controls are pretty easy so you'll be able ( easily) to get the temperatureyou desire quickly
11.It's ( as mentioned) pretty isolated so you may want to stock up on snacks if you're the snacking type. Otherwise you may be unhappy in the middle of the night.
12. Getting into the city centre will take about roughly 30 minutes with a bit of traffic. It's just one straight drive until you hit Bayview hotel...and you see Prudential building.

I think this is a hotel you may consider if you're on a budget. It's clean and the room I am in at least does not smell of smoke. ( Unlike the Bayview hotel melaka....)

Sunset mass in Melaka

Sunset mass in Melaka, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

I have been in Melaka since Wednesday. Today is the last night here. Tomorrow I get to sleep in my own bed. Oh boy! I miss it. Attended sunset mass at St Peter's Church in Melaka. The last time I attended sunset mass here was during my housemanship. The building itself looks a little shabbier than what I remembered it to be. Parking was easy. They have a large compound right in front of the church. And it's one straight road all the way from Ayer Keroh ( where I am staying for the 2 nights 3 days course) to this church. Since most roads in Melaka are one-way, going back needed some help from WAZE. Bit of traffic, or perhaps it was just slower cars because of the haze. Driving in the dark with the haze is difficult. More posts on Melaka.



Sunset mass starts at 6:00pm. Rosary and Novena starts at 5:30pm.

St. Peter's Church
166 Jalan Bendahara,
75100 Melaka

Tel:  06-282 2950
Fax: 06-284 2950

MTS Annual Congress 2013

Where to go?, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

Last weekend was spent at KL HIlton. I now know that parking costs a whopping RM77 if you do not have the special ticket issued to folks attending something legit at KL Hilton. That's daylight robbery surely. This congress is where you meet old friends and have a good goss. Oh yes, and you get to update your knowledge without breaking into a sweat. It's a huge meeting of chest physicians. Did you know there are a measely 68 of us registered on the NSR? Compared to 200++ ENT surgeons? Amazing

A large collection of doctors

Doctor Smurf, originally uploaded by cheezelsmurf.

Hoping to meet old friends at the congress:)

MTS 2013

MTS 2013, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

The annual congress is held at KL Hilton this year. Which is handy because it's pretty near ( by KL standards) from home and not staying away from home during the weekend makes a difference. Why is it....that packing and staying away from home tires you like nothing else can? I havent found a good explanation for that yet.

Day 2 today. We've finished with the pre-congress workshop held at UMMC ( with the difficult parking spots) and yesterday (day 1) we've finished the poster presentation and oral presentation as well. Today's topics are interventional bronchoscopy and we have clinical grand ward round sessions which is usually interesting and you can learn more.

Marmalade publika

Marmalade publika, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

Have you ever eaten here? Marmalade has a few branches. The one at Bangsar Village 2 is nice. It has windows overlooking the road. And a huge play area for children. This is another branch at Publika Solaris Dutamas. It is positioned in a rather nice place. The front of the shop opens up to a garden. And to the right of this picture is the road. We have only succeeded in eating here just yesterday. Their opening hours are short. Closed by 9:00pm sharp and the last 3-4 visits here , it was booked for private functions.

Our experience was mediocre. the food was nice.  But I found the menu very basic. ( I think the marmalade at BV2 has a wider selection of food ) Service was tolerable. But they had no sink and I had chicken burger and fries with my hands so I left with sticky fingers. It was quiet. We were their first customers for the evening. Two chaps came in after us.

No I shan't be returning anytime soon.

Old lecture hall

Old lecture hall, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

This is an old lecture hall in UMMC, dewan kuliah 3. Look at how steep the incline is. I nearly tripped when I was walking up here. ( Felt like climbing up Batu Caves...not that I have but I'm sure it's just as steep) What impressed us was the quality of the wood. So many years...so many bums and hands and feet and yet it has stood the test of time. They don't do things half as good as they used to. What a pity!!

* i spent the morning here from 7:30 to 12:45. Before heading back to PPUKM

Car park

Car park, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

I was at UMMC earlier today. ( And I mean early....before half seven in the morning) Woke up at 5:30am and decided to give running a miss. I spend the time doing nothing really useful and left the house early enough. I did two wrong turns, one which left me making a dangerous illegal u-turn. Finding a place to park is scary. You keep driving about and all you find is cars already parked. Did they suddenly mushroom up from the ground?I parked at a cul-de-sac.

 Got boxed in. So I had to call two people( who thoughfully left their contact numbers on the dashboard) to come and re-park their cars. I left UMMC grounds feeling rather darker and sweaty and dehydrated. It's been a while since I've had to park like so. My car and I are now very grateful for the allocated basement carpark slot we have at work.

ABRSM music exam

做上癮>< #hkig #hk #ig #iger #music #theory #exam #past #paper #abrsm #composition #crazy, originally uploaded by Isaac_Cheung.

Did you know you needed a minimum of grade 5 music theory before you can sit for the practical exams for grades higher than 5?

A report on Monday

Good coffee. Can be found here, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

Do you ever have a feeling that things won't be smooth sailing some days? I did and yes it came true. Monday wasn't great although it started off pretty well with a 5 km jog at 5:15am. Something I haven't done in weeks. And then it kinda went downhill as the day progressed. Here's my theory....I shouldn't have enjoyed myself so much on Sunday:)

I had coffee at krispy kreme yesterday evening. Their coffee is better than starbucks and just slightly less tasty than coffee bean. A lot of froth to sip before you get to the coffee.

Swedish Royal Wedding

Princess Estelle sitting on her wee chair

Princess Madeleine of Sweden married her American boyfriend Chris O'Neil. I love the fact baby Estelle was allowed to attend the wedding ceremony and what a well behaved little miss she was. Here she is sitting primly between papa and mama. The bride's gown was designed by Valentino and was made out of lace. The veil was just the right length ( I hate long trains they tend to go to one side when you walk down the aisle) and she word her own little tiara rather than the cameo tiara worn by her sister Victoria.  Chris was the surprise. He appeared more relaxed and pictures of the couple during and after the ceremony showed the softer side of his rather stern ( and bored demeanor). I can't wait for the HELLO magazine issue of this wedding.

The first nuncio to Malaysia

The first nuncio to Malaysia, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

The Pope has appointed Archbishop Joseph Marino as the first nuncio to Malaysia. A nuncio is a diplomatic representative of the Holy See( episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic church in Rome. )It is the equivalent of an ambassador from any other country. This picture was taken yesterday during sunset mass at St John's Cathedral Bukit Nanas KL. The skies threatened to pour but thankfully all we got was cooler weather instead. The mass was packed.

Happy Saturday

Hanbok, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

I jogged 10km this morning and feel tired but happy. This is the first 10km after being ill in May. It feels very nice to be well again. And so I had the energy to wade through my iphoto album and I found this old pcture. The hanbok is authentic. Bought in Seoul during a three day visit there. The niece loved it that holiday and wore it almost daily. She also received these wooden fruits for Christmas and used it to play make believe Jamie Oliver stories with me. I have violin class this morning. Followed by some rest periods before evening mass.

Friends are precious creatures

Breakfast with friends:), originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

A muffin and a "Queen's guard" ....one can be eaten ( and was eaten for breakfast) and the other to moisturize those chapped lips to keep them nice and smooth. This is what I got on Monday morning from two good friends. And we had a good nasi lemak breakfast :) I realise the focus is on the container of muffins(duh). Must learn to check pictures after taking them on the iphone.

Just a quick note:
A queen's guard is not merely decorative. They're functional and serve to guard the royal residences in London. ( Buckingham Palace, St James' palace, Clarence house)

ps: Clinic finished earlier than last week's marathon session...and for that I am deeply grateful.

Cake for breakfast

rainbow cake, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

I attended a birthday party last Saturday and got to bring home a huge slice of birthday cake.Rainbow cake:) I had it for breakfast Sunday morning and could only manage that much. ( See picture of spoon and the bit of cake missing.) It was sweet and I had to give up and drink my coffee instead. Saturday was a social filled evening. After this party, I went to another celebration: Gawai instead at another close friend's place:) And now I'm paying the price of enjoying too much during the weekend. Have been slaving away in front of the laptop for the last 2 hours trying to get a presentation done. Wish me luck. ( Am taking a break to blog and play the violin before I continue on) Topic related to the latin saying "UBI PUS EVACUA"

Selamat Hari Gawai

Its the harvest festival:) Selamat Hari Gawai!!! And a long weekend in Sarawak I believe:)

Messy desk in clinic

Messy desk in clinic, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

Do you have a neat desk ?? I usually start off nice and organized and then the mess starts creeping up on me. And I then waste time looking for my phone(s) my pen(s) and my stetoscope even. A tidy desk is a tidy mind...as the saying goes. Better start tidying up this desk at home too.

Japanese Udon

Japanese Udon, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

I love sushi but not udon. Here is the niece's udon decorated with cute emoticons:) I prefer kuey teow soup:) To each his own!

Botanical Gardens

Botanical Gardens, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

Its the 1st of June: the busiest month in the year. Mid year means everyone wants to hold meetings, conferences etc. This picture was taken in March this year at the peak of my craziness to jog daily. I got sick in April and when I recovered: became lazy. This pictures serves to remind me of the benefits of jogging:) Botanical Gardens Singapore