#805 - Week of Blackout

ENGLISH

Well, the title seems to be perfectly suitable as this week's theme for me. This week alone, I have experienced three and a half (LOL) blackout just in the fourth day of this week. The Indonesian National Electricity Company (PLN) really needs to fix things up.

By the way, why does a blackout in Indonesian is called "mati lampu" (probably roughly translated as "off/dead lamps")? While actually a blackout is caused by electricity which doesn't run. Beside lamps, other electronic stuffs (like TV, fridge, AC, etc) are also off during it. Then, why do we call it "mati lampu"? Is it because at the time the term was created, lamp was the only electronic device available at that time?? LOL

Last Monday evening, when I was still in Bandung, there was a blackout. A blackout in Bandung is a really rare occasion to happen, but once it happens it sucks to hell (hmm, I think all blackouts are like that, aren't they? LOL). My brother (and so all other Unpar's students) was already in the weeks of midterms. Some of them had exams on Tuesday and the electricity went OFF on Monday EVENING, the time when they were supposed to STUDY!! C'Mon PLN!!! You picked the "right" time to have a blackout (even though there isn't really a "good" time to have a blackout, LOL). The blackout occured for almost three hours, from around 6 PM up to around 8.45 PM.

On Tuesday, just after I arrived at Yogyakarta, there was another blackout in Yogyakarta. Well, a blackout in Yogyakarta is (relatively) more common than in Bandung. I was accompanying my parents shopping some utilities for my parents' new businesses and there was a blackout!! Well well, it was raining hard at that time so it might be because of the rain. This blackout wasn't really affecting me because I was away and when I got home, the electricity had already been on (at least it was on in my home by the time I got there). That's why I count it as a half, LOL.

On Wednesday, there was another blackout. This time, I was in my home. It occured for about 90 minutes, from 6 PM to 7.30 PM. Well, I had to miss American Idol because of that. Damnit!!

Just today, there was another blackout AGAIN!!! WHAT THE ... !!! I hang out with my friend today and when I got home at 5 PM, the electricity had been off. Apparently, it had been off since around 4.30 PM. Up until 7 PM, it was still off. Damn, I gotta miss another American Idol show. I got sleepy and accidentally slept for a while. When I got up at 7.45 PM, it had been on. But hey, it was another 3 hours blackout!!

See, it's crazy that so far this week, I experienced blackout on every single day!!

Anyway, I got back to Yogyakarta last Tuesday catching Wings Air's direct Bandung - Yogyakarta flight on an ATR 72-500, detail story coming soon. All I can say now is that the flight was VERY COMFORTABLE!!! :-) Here is a sneak peek of the aircraft operated on this route:

::: Wings Air's ATR 72-500 reg code PK-WFG flight no JT/IW 1812 just landed at Adisutjipto International Airport from Bandung, Yogyakarta.

BAHASA INDONESIA

Yah, judul di atas aku rasa cukup cocok untuk menggambarkan tema keadaanku minggu ini. Minggu ini saja lho ya, yang baru mencapai hari keempat, aku sudah mengalami tiga setengah (LOL) kali mati lampu lho. Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) harus bener2 bekerja dengan serius nih, masa kaya gini.

Eh, ngomong2, kenapa ya kejadian mati listrik disebut "mati lampu" di Indonesia? Padahal kejadian mati lampu kan diakibatkan oleh listrik yang nggak ngalir. Selain lampu mati, alat-alat yang bergantung sama listrik (TV, kulkas, AC, dll) kan juga mati. Lantas, kenapa namanya nggak "mati listrik" tapi "mati lampu"? Apa karena waktu istilah ini dibuat, hanya lampu lah alat yang bergantung dengan listrik pada saat itu?? LOL

Senin malam, ketika aku masih di Bandung, terjadilah mati lampu. Mati lampu di Bandung itu merupakan hal yang jarang terjadi, tapi begitu terjadi menyebalkan sekali (kayanya semua juga gitu sih ya? LOL). Adikku (dan bersama semua mahasiswa Unpar lainnya) padahal sedang berada di minggu UTS. Sebagian dari mereka ada ujian hari Selasa dan listrik malah mati pada hari Senin MALAM dimana mereka seharusnya BELAJAR!! Ya ampun PLN!!! Kau memilih waktu yang "tepat" untuk mengalami mati lampu (walau kalo dipikir2 lagi sebenarnya nggak ada ya waktu yang "baik" buat mati lampu, LOL). Mati lampu ini terjadi selama hampir tiga jam, dari jam 6 sore sampe jam 8.45 malam.

Di hari Selasa, baru saja ketika aku tiba di Yogyakarta, ada mati lampu lagi di Yogyakarta. Yah, kejadian mati lampu di Yogyakarta itu (relatif) lebih umum terjadi daripada di Bandung. Aku waktu itu sedang menemani ortu belanja peralatan untuk bisnis baru mereka dan terjadilah mati lampu sial itu!! Yah, waktu itu meman sedang hujan deras sih jadi mungkin hujan itu yang menstimulasi mati lampu. Mati lampu ini nggak gitu mempengaruhi diriku karena kan aku lagi pergi dan ketika sudah pulang, listrik sudah nyala lagi (setidaknya waktu sampe rumah listrik udah nyala). Makanya mati lampu ini dihitung sebagai setengah saja, LOL.

Di hari Rabu, ada mati lampu lagi. Kali ini, aku sedang di rumah. Terjadi sekitar 90 menit loh, dari jam 6 sampe jam 7.30 malem. Yah, harus melewatkan American Idol deh. Sial!!

Hari ini, ada mati lampu LAGI!!! APA-APAAN INI!!! Aku jalan2 dengan temanku siang tadi dan waktu pulang jam 5 sore, listrik sudah mati. Katanya sih sudah mati dari jam 4.30 sore. Sampe jam 7 malam masih belum nyala tuh. Sial, harus melewatkan acara American Idol lagi deh. Aku ngantuk dan ketiduran sebentar. Waktu bangun jam 7.45 malam, sudah nyala lagi listriknya. Tapi, yah, itu kan tiga jam (lagi) mati lampu!!

Lihat kan, gila nggak minggu ini, aku mengalami kejadian mati lampu setiap hari lho!!

Ngomong2, aku balik ke Yogyakarta Selasa kemarin naik penerbangan langsung Wings Air Bandung - Yogyakarta dengan pesawat ATR 72-500, cerita detail nanti yah. Yang bisa aku bilang sekarang sih penerbangannya NYAMAN SEKALI!!! :-) Di atas ada tuh foto pesawat yang dipakai di rute ini.