Indorock Festival

After being a very successful in organizing Slank concert my friend decided to organize another concert. Maybe he will become famous concert organizer in Indonesia someday. He organized one for New Year’s party but at that time I was in Indonesia.

This time, he organizes a rock festival called Indorock Festival. Indonesian bands from all over Germany are invited to compete here in Bremen. The winner will get € 100.

Eight bands are registered including one from Bremen. Others are from Berlin, Frankfurt, and Hannover. Most of band members are students.

Since I am back in Bremen now, so I was asked to participate in organizing this festival. But since I don’t have much spare time, I decided to work only at the D-Day. I got tasks in the entrance door to check bands registration and selling tickets.

The available tickets are 80 but we managed to sell 91!!! That’s a very nice income as we only depend on the ticket sales for covering this activity. We didn’t think that many people will come because the price is not cheap (€ 7). Hmm, maybe if we lower the price, more people will come; as the reception room in Tabak Börse could accommodate more than 100 people… Most of the audiences are, of course, Indonesians. It’s so nice to meet many Indonesian people in one place.

The festival starts at 8 PM with each band have to perform 3 songs. The juries then pick 3 best bands and they have to play 2 more songs to become the winner. In the end, a band from Berlin called “Gast Poll” wins the festival. They are also my favorite because I think they are the only band who plays rock music constantly. Other bands play pop also. But this band, they play Jamrud songs very good and make people jumps on their feet.

The concert ends at 3 AM!!! During the show, I steal some time to sleep for awhile. But still, I come home very tired at 5 AM. I fall asleep right away and I feel like I am only sleeping for awhile; but when I see my watch, it shows 3 PM!!! Well it’s Sunday, so I just continue being lazy for the whole day.

[Photos courtesy of Hawis Madduppa]

Autograph from International Football Star

For all my life, I never got any autograph from any International Star. Never! You name it, movie stars, football stars, politicians… Never!

Okay I may sound exaggerating because I got Werder Bremen players autograph during Werder Bremen Fans Day; but this time it’s more special.

Remember Ivana? The Brazilian girl who work as publicist for Portuguese-speaking footballers; and found me through this blog? It’s her idea to give me this sweet present. When she interviews Diego, the Brazilian star in Werder Bremen, she asked him to sign his picture designated to me…!!!

As you can see here, it’s Diego’s autograph with saying “Für Asti”. I am so surprised and happy, of course, to receive this sweet present. It’s surely another new experience for me. Thanks Ivana!

Werder Bremen vs Udinese

Ticket Possession

This year Werder Bremen doesn’t do good in Bundesliga; they’re stuck in the middle position somehow. But the good thing, they can compensate it in Europe league; they reach quarter final of UEFA Cup.

For this game, they will face Udinese from Italia. I see the posters of the game, a week before the game, all around the city. I would like to watch it in stadium, since I never see any European competition directly in stadium. But it’s only a week more, I am not sure that I could get the ticket.

First attempt, contact my new friend from Brazil: Ivana. She works at an agency for foreign football players. In this case, Diego from Brazil and Hugo Almeyda from Portugal are listed under her agency. Her work is to promote the footballer’s achievements in Germany to their home country; so they are recognized by their own countrymen and raise the chance to be part in the national team. In real, Ivana has to interview them regularly and watch all the game that they play; then send all the report, as an article, to journalists in the respective countries. Isn’t that amazing??? She has the coolest job in the world! I never know such a job is exists!!!

Anyway, since I know that Ivana will be in the stadium, I ask my chance to be there also. Unfortunately, and I should’ve known it, she can’t bring people for free. Or else, she would have told me earlier… But she advises me to look for ticket in the Bremen city official website. There’s a section called ‘Blackboard’ where we can put advertisement for free. I am familiar with this, as I got my Linkin Park concert ticket the same way.

So I browse the site and find some offers. I contact them all via email and ask whether they still have the tickets or not. After I have done it, I realize that I have to check the seat places or the position that they offer. And apparently, only 2 of them offer seats in the below part, and the rest is in balcony. So I really hope that I can get the below part.

And my pray is answered. From the 2 seats in the below part, one contact me back. He said he still have 2 tickets. The seats are in a block near the corner post. Actually I would love to have the other one as it’s more in the middle part of the stadium; but since there’s no reply from the owner, I decide to take these corner seats before everything is too late.

When I pick up my tickets, first thing that the owner asks me is that, “Are you For Bremen or for Udinese?”. And I ask him back, “Why? You feel bad if you sell it to Udinese fans?”. And he just say, “Uhm, I don’t know…”


The Game (April 9th 2009)

In D-day, I go to the match with Ivana and Christoph, a native Bremen. Since Ivana has to work, we separate and set the meeting place after the game.
When I find out my seating place, I am so surprised that I can see the field so close. I think this is the first time that I can see live football match in close range. This is due to the fact that Bremen stadium doesn’t have athletic field, so the distance between football field and the seats is so close. In Indonesia, I live near the national stadium; so this is kinda the only stadium that I visit; and since it has athletic field, so the distance between football field and the seats is somehow far. Also, I never watch any game from below part!!! It’s always in the balcony part because it’s cheaper. Hmmm wait, I think I have watched a game in below part, but it’s right behind the goal; so it’s not a good view after all. And again, compare to now, I can sit on a proper plastic seat; while in Indonesia I always sit on a wooden bench or even cement seat. So this is like jumping to higher social class for me ;)

The fact that I can sit in this German stadium is also nice; because it means that I am not blocked by Germans’ heads as if in the standing sector. It even nicer because the person who sits in front of me is a little girl. So I can see the game perfectly. The little girl even seems to like me because she keeps turn her head and smiles to me. So cute! It reminds me a bit of my childhood, actually; going to football stadium with my father.

By the way, right after I got the tickets, I tell my family and friends in Indonesia that I’ll watch the game in the stadium. And since it’ll be broadcasting to Indonesia, I told them to pay extra attention during corner kicks, because I might be seen. During the game, in the first half there’s no corner kicks from corner post nearby. But in the second half, there’re some corner kicks from my corner post. And whenever it happens, I wave my scarf or stand up; hoping that somebody in Indonesia will recognize me…

The game is interesting although it’s boring for the first 20 minutes. In the end Bremen won 3 against 1. Ivana is so happy because the goal scorers are Diego and Almeyda; both under her agency.

We go home at almost midnight; and after uploading some of the pictures in facebook, I sleep at around 2AM. In the next morning, I wake up with dizziness which doesn’t go for the whole day. Hmmm…. I guess I have football hangover…

Parliament Election

Today, April 9th is an election day in Indonesia. This is the first step in the whole election fiesta, voting for our representatives in parliament. And since I live abroad now, I have to vote from abroad; which will be my first time.

Since last week, I got my voting paper by mail. This is an advantage for me because then I can investigate all candidates; well at least from internet. And another advantage is, as abroad voters, I only got 1 type of voting paper i.e. for the national parliament. In Indonesia, people get 3 different voting papers for national parliament, district parliament, and senate members.

After I study my promising candidates carefully, I have decided to choose one. And today I am ready to post my vote. Hopefully the future ruling party can bring Indonesia into a better stage.

Full Cream Milk

In Indonesia, I am so crazy with full cream milk. This milk isn’t for drinking as it is; but it’s a part of mixture with others. For example, avocado juice in Indonesia means you have blended avocado with chocolate full cream milk as a topping. Also, there’s a drink called ‘Happy Soda’ which is a mixture of soda water and white full cream milk. I am also love to mix my own drink; like ginger tea latte, green tea latte, etc.

Well I didn’t do it in my first stay in Bremen because I don’t really miss it. But during my research days in Indonesia, I keep doing it so now I would like to continue mixing some drinks. But then, what’s a ‘full cream milk’ in German version?

Full cream milk is a condensed milk so I try to search for non-liquid milk. I found some so-called condensed milks, but when I shake them, the sound of shaking is loud which means the milks are not so condensed. The closest thing for condensed milk is a cream; but this is also not what I am looking for, it’s too solid. So after I shake the whole section of milk products, I realize that I couldn’t find it. But when I look in the jam products, I find this Nestle’s condensed milk. It’s used like a jam for toast bread. In the picture I can see that this is the condensed milk that I am looking for. I buy it and it’s exactly what I am looking for. So now I can start mixing my drinks again…

Frigid ATM Card

One day after I arrived in Bremen, I go shopping. It’s necessary because I don’t have any food or basic toiletries stuffs. Beside, it’s Saturday; if I don’t go shopping this day then I’ll be suffer the whole weekend as normally stores are closed in Sunday.

Anyway, so I go to the nearby supermarket and buy a lot of stuffs. Usually I pay my stuffs with ATM card. So this day I do the same, I give my ATM card for paying. But then… it turns out that my ATM card doesn’t work. Somehow the machine can’t read my ATM card!!! The cashier tries it for 3 times but still no result. Fortunately, I have cash money with me. So in the end I pay it by cash.

I can’t believe that my ATM card can’t work. Although I never use it for 7 months but my account is still active because I use internet banking. How come my card can’t work? But anyway, I have to go to the Bank first time in Monday to settle this.

So that’s it. I go to the Bank in Monday morning. Before I enter the Bank, I am curious to try my ATM card again in an ATM machine in the main entrance. Guess what, it works!!! What…??? How come…???

Since it works again, so I decide not to enter the Bank at all. So weird… maybe my ATM card also need weather adjustment.