Desa Altel. headquarter of Fashion TV Indonesia

Today was really random for me and my cousin, Goldi, but it was a fun one. I was supposed to have an interview meeting with a resource but it was canceled and rescheduled to Tuesday, so instead we went to Fashion TV to get the prize I won at Twitter contest. The traffic was jammed since Pondok Ranji Toll Gate and we reached T.B. Simatupang in 1.5 hours (usually it would take only 40 minutes) but we were consoled when we reached the office at Desa Altel. I had admired this place from outside (the gate and entrance) and hadn't thought this would be an office. The office is a compound of several houses with Balinese architecture. How could one not love it?

NYX 5 Color Shadows, The Caribbean Collection that I won

So I got this NYX 5 palette eye shadow and some talks with the staffs. And one of them happened to be a friend I knew from Bali. I never knew Elwa was working in Fashion TV so it was quite a surprise to me. After that we went to Gandaria City and met Nares, from my publisher's. After very late lunch at Marugame Udon and a little walk around we decided to carry on, but another surprise for me, I met Alex Samosir and his family. It was a very nice coincidence to bump into them!

Pasar Santa, second floor

When we saw the heavy traffic on the way home, we went to Pasar Santa, the most happening place in town right now (for there are so many and various products, from all kinds of F&B, books, vinyl records, fashion, and even a camera shop!) but I had always neglected to come since Andi invited me the first time April last year. But we had nowhere to go to avoid the traffic, so we went there instead.

this is my first time tasting Horchata, made out of rice and garnished by cinnamon--turned out pretty tasty!

Maybe you've been to Pasar Santa, too, because I came there a little to late now, but I bet no one had a tour guide before. When my cousin and I was looking around, reading those boards with names and menus, a group of guys was looking at us in a way that made me thought, "Do I know these guys?" They seemed to want to talk to me in a way like old (and forgotten) acquaintances do. But no, I assured myself I hadn't met them before.

Papricano, a Mexicana Cantina we had our dinner at

But as Goldi and I walked among the crowds to find food, one of them asked us which way we were going for and invited himself to be our tour guide. So we walked down the aisles and he mentioned all the most famous, the great ones and the ones whose owners he knew all over the second floor. But then I met Andi at ABCD and we talked--but this guy was still waiting so we went back to the first place we came, and met Danie (the moderator from my book launching event) and he introduced us to the press who came for PMR Band's new album's launching. And the tour guide went back to his station as we carried on with the press.

the mural wall art they got beside the Papricano's stall

Then the band, PMR (Pengantar Minum Racun) is an old band from late '80s that carrying dangdut music with comedy lyrics. A bizarre combination, not even to mention how the music sound. Tonight they were launching the new album: Orkeslah Kalau Bergitar. A meaningless parody of a slang, but sounded right. I guess this just summed up my first time come to Pasar Santa as a very bizarre experience (and when we got to BSD, I had my tire flat!). Such a very strange day (but in a fun way) indeed.