Ep.53
“Sometimes
on the way to the dreams, you get lost and find a better one.” – Annonymous.
Wondering
why my blog just stuck for almost a year? Well here what’s really going on.
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| Roulette Alcohol Game |
I was a
girl that is full of dreams. In an exaggerated way, I’m pretty ambitious in
achieving my targets. 2012 is the year that I found myself a 23 year-young
*don’t wanna be old* girl. I thought by the time, I should’ve achieved
something. Kinda put a pressure on myself, aren’t I? So, in this particular
post, just in case you’re wondering why this blog stuck for almost a year?
Well, its not that I’m dead obviously, but more that I got my hands busy with 2
of my dreams.
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| Tortuga Kitchen and Bar |
First: Do
you remember that I have that dream to open a restaurant? The Piccolo Camino
thingy from my final project for the school? Well, sometimes I got to be
flexible. One day on my layover in Dubai, my university friend, Raymond,
brought up an idea of opening a restaurant and bar. Considering the proposal
that he sent me, I was pretty interesting. It was kind of investing my money n
something I love, food and beverages. So we were kind of busy discussing the
concept and gathering up the opening team, as I may say, other investors.
Joined hand of 5 persons: Raymond, Julianto, Intan, Inez and myself, we
brainstormed about it all and we found it: Tortuga.
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| main area |
It is a
restaurant serving fusion menu, which Raymond created (he’s that kind of guy
that is just so much into cooking), that were cooked using the gastronomical
technique. Okay, to put it simple, we do serve high class menu, like those
others you could find in five stars hotel, within the price range of students.
And yes! We served alcoholic drinks. Our cocktails and mocktails were our show
stopper, if I may say. You name it, we got it! (Our latest cocktail invention
was the Iron Man, “Which Mark are You?”)
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| we change the seating arrangement like on daily basis |
Embracing
the theme of wooden, pirate atmosphere, we managed to renovate the venue, which
is located in Ruko Crown Golf Blok A No 10, Jakarta Utara, Pantai Indah Kapuk.
We incorporated the old chandelier, sail and barrels into our bar. So be it,
the restaurant and bar opened on September 2012. Since it was open some event
has been held at Tortuga. Birthday, meetings, new years, gatherings, valentines
day or just some occasions made just for our guest. And since it opened, the
business has been a great experience for me as well as for the other partner.
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| AUS striploin on mashed potato |
Now, every
Friday we would have LiVE band performance on our stage and on Saturday we will
bring the crowd by our house DJ performance. Some new menus released and there
we go, TV comes to showcased us, people start blogging on us and that was just
amazing. It was almost a year now that Tortuga opened, and I would say I am
proud of it. It might be not the most booming restaurant on planet earth, but
it got my name on it.
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| Seafood Aglio Olio with Flaming Alcohol |
I didn’t
tell my parents that I’m joining in Tortuga project at first. Well, they would
probably just being too noisy about this and that *thinking that they knew
better about business and experienced*, so I just go with it and tell them when
it was already opened. I was not so sure about how they feel about me opening a
restaurant and bar. But I guess, every now and then when I catches flight back
to Jakarta and helped out at Tortuga and got home after midnight *oh yeah we
open until past midnight*, they will just let it be. I guess they’re supporting
me in their own way.
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| our famous Tortugan Nachos |
That was
my first dream to be accomplished in this one-year time around. My first
investment and to think back, I would’ve not made it without God’s grace. He is
always the one that make it happen, don’t He? He made it possible for us as he
prepared His plan upon us. I guess He might make it happen because He knew that
we could pull it off together. Now, all I could ever asked is that Tortuga
would be a success for more years to come.
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| Friday Night Crowd |
Here are some review on Tortuga, check it out:
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| Welcome to my house |
Second: A
house. It has been a goal that I told everyone when I was graduated that I
would love to own a house. My own house. My own property. It became rooted into
my mind that this ‘house’ thing better be achieved as soon as possible. Coz’ if
it ain’t achieved, it would be sounded that I was just bragging around about my
dream and never do some action to make it come true. So, on my 2-weeks annual
leave, I went back to Jakarta. I asked my Dad to accompany me to search for a
house. I have been asked him like few months to help out, but sure enough he
consider that I was just kidding around.
On October
2012, I finally drag him to drive me around searching for houses. Jakarta is
way too expensive for me to buy, obviously, the land price was just insane and
ridiculously expensive. So I decided to searched a little bit suburb. 20
minutes from Jakarta, near my University, laid back atmosphere, not as busy as
Jakarta but still close enough, Lippo Karawaci, Tangerang. Being practically
commute here for 4 years of my university lifetime, I love this place and I
would say, I kind of okay to live here one day. Peaceful and still got a style.
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| Bar area |
So, we searched
for about 3-4 days *forgot* with several different property agents, and we
always come back to the same house. Why do I ask my Dad to accompany me? Coz’ I
don’t know anything about property and stuffs and he used to be in that kind of
business when he was about my age. First house that I’m in love, were sold on
the next day even before we bargain for the price. Well, may be God would love
to give u something better. So we moved to the second choice. It was one and a
half storey house, about 1000 sqft., 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, extra room,
kitchen, living room and parking lot, completely unfurnished but newly
renovated. Well I would renovate those tile for sure!!
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| wanna guess what? teriyaki chicken |
We bargain
for the asking price and few days later, there we go on a deal. Finished? FAR
from it! Now I go to do the loan paperworks. This and that and many many
documents that made me have to go back and forth to Jakarta to sign this and
that. The time was dragged from October (when we deal on the price) until
January 2013. The year has changed, even my age has changed! This house thing
made me older faster. Long story become short, I finally owned my own house
without any penny from my parents, it is legitimately mine.
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| pannacota |
There were
a lot of obstacles between those period of time that there were a time I
consider to give it up, but I do believe that it was God that asked me not to.
There have been sayings that what’s best for you might not be come that easy.
And in the end that house is mine. Well, I offered my grandparents to live in
my house, but due to one other circumstance, they don’t. So, for now, I rent it
out to another person, so it was kind of another investment for me.
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| my comrades minus one :( |
In the
end, like a slap on my face, it was on Christmas 2012 celebration with some of
my friends here in Hong Kong. We gathered around and share about what did we
pray for from last Christmas for 2012 resolutions. It happened to me that I really
literally declared that by 2012 I would have my own house. And guess what,
Jesus gave me more. He gave me a restaurant as well. So I guess no matter how
big your dream is, put Him into it and He will make it happen, just trust Him,
and trust yourself to make it work. Not to mention, work your ass off!
That’s my
1 year vacuum from this blog and hopefully I got my mood back to generate some
more travel journals. And just for records, I do declared my other dream at
2012 Christmas celebration. Way to go, dreamers!
“I aim for
the moon, so if I failed, I still fall among the stars. Or if I succeed, I get
those stars as bonuses.” – Me.
P.S: Special thanks to other bloggers, especially NiyaOke for the cool pictures.
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