Monday, July 8, 2019

JAPAN TRIP Ticket, Airbnb & Transportation (FIRST SECTION)


First Section: Ticket, Airbnb & Transport


1.        Ticket

“Be patient” is the best tips I can give you this time. Since, be patient is the key in this first topic. You know the story behind this trip, and because I can’t be patient, I made a mistake and a little bit regret about it. Second tips is to find the best time travelling for you, so that you can enjoy the trip at most. Third tips is, if you love to shop make sure you buy a flight that already include baggage, so that you don’t have problem later in the airport.

So, after my brother asked me to join him, I immediately search the ticket that match he and his friends flight, at that time (almost 2 weeks waiting and searching) I only find two options of flight which has the best price and best time travelling for me, even though for me, the price is still too expensive and not beneficial. The options is between Cathay Pacific(must transit in Hongkong) or Filipine Airlines(must transit in Filipine), this 2 options has the most valuabe price at that time and match the time my brother and his friend flight, even though the transit time is made me stress. It offers me around 6,3 million Rupiah include for departing and returning to Indonesia. The truth is, I wants JAL / ANA Airlines so bad, so that I don’t need to transit somewhere, it’ll be more easier for me since I travel alone this time. But at that time the price for ANA / JAL is to expensive around 8 million rupiah.

At the end I decided to travel with Cathay Pacific with 6,3 million Rupiah to Hongkong and have to transit for like 10 hours in there. Why? Because I think at least I can hangout in Hongkong for a while with my friend (special thanks to my friend Dennis which still in Hongkong for Internship). But lucky for me for the returning from Japan to Indonesia, I only have to transit in Hongkong about like 2 hours only, I can not imagine if I have to transit more than that.
After I booked the ticket, like 2 weeks after, I randomly and curiously checking the ticket price for the same day I will go to Japan. And you GUESS WHAT?!?!?!? The most cheap ticket for that day is JAL airlines with only 4,5 million Rupiah (crying so deep right now). Oh my Goshhhhhhhh, I shock and feeling like how did this can happen. And back then again, I simply notice it’s all because I can not be patient for searching the ticket. In my deep deep heart I regret it so much, and krayyyyyyy…. If I can be patient, I can go to Japan without having to transit for such a long time and at least I can use the gap price of the ticket to pay the rent for Airbnb. So guys, the lesson in this time is, be patient!


2.        Airbnb
At first, the trip is including 5 people to go, which is me, my brother and his friend. So we decided to book Airbnb instead of Hotel. Together we pick the Airbnb, of course the most valuable price and the distance from and to the city, and little spacious apartment because we are a group. We think that it’ll be easier for us.

Together we decided to book the apartment in Matsudo-shi area. In the details said that nearest train station is 10 minutes to walk. TIPS!! don’t you ever think that 10 mins in the details is near/not far. Because in the reality it is so far and tiring, since we have to bring our own heavy luggage. So you need to make sure and check the distance between your place and the train station. Especially if trains is your transportation option.

We booked this apartment for 12 million Rupiah for 7 night of stay. Of course we divide it into five (around 2,4 million/person) since we are all 5 persons (at first), but suddenly one of my brother friend cancelled the trip without any clear reason, and she didn’t pay the rent we book together in the first time, so we have to pay extra for her part (3 million/person).

There are also another cheap stay options for you is Hostel (it offers you around 300-700 hundred Rupiah/night), I recommend you if you are a group not a family, because mostly hostel only have shared bathroom and shared room to sleep. And because Japan is very clean, you don’t have to worry. Even public toilet in Japan are so neat and clean. So, Hostel can be your another option in here if you’re on low budget.


3.        Transportation

In this trip, we all decided to focus & enjoy in Tokyo area, and not going to Osaka. Because we think that 7 days is too hectic and tiring for us to go here and there. Another reason is because shinkansen (fast train in Japan) is too expensive around 4million/person, the ticket price for shinkanses is same with the promo ticket for round-flight ticket to Japan. We think it’ll more easier and comfort for us to have another trip to Osaka later and focus to Osaka area like we did this time. And for the result I really love this idea, because we don’t have to tiredly move our luggage everywhere by ourself, since Japan taxi is too expensive for us.

So we only buy JR-East Nigano-Niigata and Suica (kind of easy card that you can use to buy anything in Japan). The reason why we buy JR-east Nigano-Niigata is because at first we wanted to try Shinkansen, and this JR-East offer us a shinkansen to back and forth to Ashikagara Flower Park, one of our destination. It’s also beneficial because we can use it 5 randomly days that we pick from 7 days of use for Tokyo area, it also give us free NEX Narita train ( Airport train ), and the rest 3 days that JR-East didn’t cover up, I used Suica for it.

For the transportation, it depends on our destination place, we have to be smart to combine transportation options in Japan, search it first before you go to Japan. I used only GOOGLE MAPS in here, because it already give us all the details, like the time, the name of the trains, etc.
 Here the link for which area and station that JR-East cover and do not cover.

JAPAN TRIP 28 APRIL-6 MAY (TOKYO-HAKONE-ASHIKAGA)


STORY BEHIND JAPAN TRIP 2018

Here’s the story behind this trip, it begins at My Uncle birthday bash at 5 December 2017. All my family gathering there and suddenly my brother asked me, if I want to join him to go on a trip with him and his ex-not girlfriend to Japan. Because he’s the only one man in this group trip, so he decided to ask me to join him (special thanks to my brother anxiety LOL). Of course, after that I accepted his request, since go to Japan is one of my bucketlist.
           
Not gonna waste so much time, I immediately search the ticket at my Travel*ka Apps (my favorite Apps for traveling). And started to search about the city, places to go, etc. Also my brother made a Whatsapp group for us, so that we can communicate trough the chat and discussing about the itinerary together.

Before I start explaining y’all about the details of my Japan trip 2018, here I will divide my trip into 4 sections:
1.        Ticket & Airbnb & Transport
2.        Things you should notice before you go to Japan
3.        Itinerary details for the 8 days trip
4.        My journey in Tokyo, Japan
I’ll post this with 2 languages which is in English and Bahasa Indonesia. So, the rest of you which can’t understand Bahasa, will still can read this post <3

Saturday, July 6, 2019

English to Indonesia about Music (Softskill 4)


Son, Ranchera, and Mariachi Musical Styles in Mexico
Updated May 24, 2019
Source: https://www.liveabout.com/music-of-mexico-son-ranchera-mariachi-2141530
Mexico has a musical history that is full of many different musical styles and influences, such as music from the Aztecan indigenous culture, music from Spain and Africa, songs from ranching life or festive mariachi bands.
Mexico's Rich Musical History
Dating back more than a thousand years before any contact was made with Europeans in the 16th century, the area was dominated by the Aztec culture, a culture that maintained an important and complex musical tradition.
After Cortes’ invasion and conquest, Mexico became a Spanish colony and remained under Spanish dominion for the next two hundred years. The music of Mexico incorporated their Pre-Columbian, Aztecan roots together with Spanish culture. Then, add a third dimension to the mix, the music of the Spanish-imported African slaves to the land. Mexican folk music draws from all three of these cultural influences.
Mexican Son
Son Mexicano means "sound" in Spanish. The music style first appeared in the 17th century and is a fusion of music from indigenous, Spanish and African traditions, much like the Cuban son
In Mexico, the music exhibits lots of variation from region to region, both in rhythm and instrumentation. Some of these regional differences include son jarocho from the area around Vera Cruz, son jaliscenses from Jalisco, and others, such as son huasteco, son calentano, and son michoacano. 
Ranchera
Ranchera is an outgrowth of son jaliscenses. Ranchera is a type of song that was literally sung on a Mexican ranch. Ranchera originated in the mid-19th century just before the Mexican revolution. The music was centered on traditional themes of love, patriotism, and nature. Ranchera songs are not just one rhythm; the style can be like a waltz, polka or bolero. Ranchera music is formulaic, it has an instrumental introduction and conclusion as well as a verse and refrain in the middle.
Mariachi Origins
We tend to think of mariachi as a style of music, but it's actually a group of musicians. There is some disagreement about where the name mariachi comes from. Some music historians believe that it is derived from the French word mariage, meaning "wedding," and indeed, mariachi groups still form an essential part of weddings in Mexico.
An alternate theory posits that the word comes from a Coca Indian word that originally referred to the platform on which the orchestra performed.
A mariachi orchestra is composed of at least two violins, two trumpets, a Spanish guitar, and two other types of guitars, the vihuela, and guitarron. The charro suits, or ornate horseman suits, worn by the band members are attributed to General Portofino Diaz who, in 1907, ordered the poor peasant musicians to don these outfits in order to look good for a visit by the U.S. Secretary of State. The tradition has lived on ever since.
Mariachi Evolution
Mariachis play many different types of music, although the style is closely tied to ranchera music. Originally mariachi and ranchera music was mostly about romantic themes, but as the Mexican economy worsened, the haciendas could no longer afford to have their own mariachi band on the premises and they let the musicians go. As a result of unemployment and harder times, the mariachi began to change themes singing about revolutionary heroes or current events.
By the early 20th century, mariachi previously known only through their various regional styles began to coalesce into a uniform musical genre, one that became recognizable throughout all of Mexico. That was due, in large part, to musicians Silvestre Vargas and Ruben Fuentes of the mariachi group "Vargas de Tecalitlan" who made sure that the popular music was written down and standardized.
In the 1950s, trumpets and a harp were introduced to the orchestra, and that instrumentation is what we can currently find in mariachi bands of today.




Google Translate
Gaya Musik Son, Ranchera, dan Mariachi di Meksiko
Meksiko memiliki sejarah musik yang penuh dengan banyak gaya dan pengaruh musik yang berbeda, seperti musik dari budaya asli Aztecan, musik dari Spanyol dan Afrika, lagu-lagu dari kehidupan peternakan atau band mariachi yang meriah.
Sejarah Musik Kaya Meksiko
Berasal lebih dari seribu tahun sebelum kontak dengan orang Eropa di abad ke-16, daerah tersebut didominasi oleh budaya Aztec, budaya yang mempertahankan tradisi musik yang penting dan kompleks.Setelah invasi dan penaklukan Cortes, Meksiko menjadi koloni Spanyol dan tetap di bawah kekuasaan Spanyol selama dua ratus tahun ke depan. Musik Meksiko menggabungkan Pra-Columbus, akar Aztecan mereka bersama dengan budaya Spanyol. Kemudian, tambahkan dimensi ketiga ke dalam campuran, musik budak Afrika impor Spanyol ke tanah. Musik rakyat Meksiko menarik dari ketiga pengaruh budaya ini.
Anak Meksiko
Son Mexicano berarti "suara" dalam bahasa Spanyol. Gaya musik pertama kali muncul pada abad ke-17 dan merupakan perpaduan musik dari tradisi pribumi, Spanyol dan Afrika, mirip dengan putra Kuba.Di Meksiko, musik menunjukkan banyak variasi dari satu daerah ke daerah lain, baik dalam ritme dan instrumentasi. Beberapa perbedaan regional ini meliputi putra Jarocho dari daerah sekitar Vera Cruz, putra Jaliscenses dari Jalisco, dan lainnya, seperti putra huasteco, putra calentano, dan putra michoacano.
Ranchera
Ranchera adalah hasil dari anak jaliscenses. Ranchera adalah jenis lagu yang secara harfiah dinyanyikan di peternakan Meksiko. Ranchera berasal pada pertengahan abad ke-19 tepat sebelum revolusi Meksiko. Musik itu berpusat pada tema tradisional cinta, patriotisme, dan alam. Lagu-lagu Ranchera bukan hanya satu ritme; gaya bisa seperti waltz, polka atau bolero. Musik Ranchera adalah formulaik, ia memiliki pengantar dan kesimpulan instrumental serta sebuah syair dan menahan diri di tengah.
Mariachi Origins
Kita cenderung menganggap mariachi sebagai gaya musik, tetapi sebenarnya adalah sekelompok musisi. Ada beberapa ketidaksepakatan tentang dari mana nama mariachi berasal. Beberapa sejarawan musik percaya bahwa itu berasal dari kata Prancis mariage, yang berarti "pernikahan," dan memang, kelompok mariachi masih merupakan bagian penting dari pernikahan di Meksiko. Sebuah teori alternatif berpendapat bahwa kata tersebut berasal dari kata Coca Indian yang awalnya merujuk pada platform di mana orkestra tampil.Orkestra mariachi terdiri dari setidaknya dua biola, dua trompet, gitar Spanyol, dan dua jenis gitar lainnya, vihuela, dan guitarron. Jas charro, atau setelan penunggang kuda berhias, yang dikenakan oleh anggota band dikaitkan dengan Jenderal Portofino Diaz yang, pada tahun 1907, memerintahkan para musisi petani miskin untuk mengenakan pakaian ini agar terlihat bagus untuk dikunjungi oleh Sekretaris Negara AS. Tradisi telah hidup sejak itu.
Evolusi Mariachi
Mariachis memainkan banyak jenis musik yang berbeda, meskipun gaya ini terkait erat dengan musik ranchera. Awalnya musik mariachi dan ranchera kebanyakan tentang tema romantis, tetapi karena ekonomi Meksiko memburuk, hacienda tidak lagi mampu memiliki band mariachi sendiri di tempat dan mereka membiarkan para musisi pergi. Sebagai akibat dari pengangguran dan masa-masa sulit, mariachi mulai mengubah tema bernyanyi tentang pahlawan revolusioner atau peristiwa terkini.Pada awal abad ke-20, mariachi yang sebelumnya hanya dikenal melalui berbagai gaya daerah mereka mulai menyatu menjadi genre musik yang seragam, yang menjadi dikenal di seluruh Meksiko. Itu sebagian besar disebabkan oleh musisi Silvestre Vargas dan Ruben Fuentes dari grup mariachi "Vargas de Tecalitlan" yang memastikan bahwa musik populer ditulis dan distandarisasi.Pada tahun 1950-an, terompet dan harpa diperkenalkan ke orkestra, dan instrumentasi itu adalah apa yang saat ini dapat kita temukan di pita mariachi hari ini.









My Translate
Ragam Musik Son, Ranchera dan Mariachi di Meksiko

Meksiko mempunyai riwayat musikal yang penuh dengan berbagai ragam style music dan pengaruh music yang berbeda, seperti halnya musik dari budaya asli Aztecan, music dari Spanyol dan Afrika, maupun lagu-lagu dari kehidupan di peternakan atau festival band Mariachi yang meriah.
Riwayat Meksiko yang kaya akan musik
Melihat kembali lebih dari seribu tahun sebelum adanya kontak dengan orang Eropa pada abad ke-16, daerah tersebut didominasi oleh budaya Aztec, budaya yang mempertahankan tradisi musik yang penting dan kompleks. Setelah invasi dan penaklukan Cortes, Meksiko menjadi koloni Spanyol dan tetap di bawah kekuasaan Spanyol selama dua ratus tahun ke depan. Musik Meksiko menggabungkan Pra-Columbus, akar Aztecan bersama dengan budaya Spanyol. Kemudian, tambahkan dimensi ketiga ke dalam campuran, musik dari budak Afrika yang diimpor dari Spanyol ke negeri itu. Musik rakyat Meksiko mengambil dari ketiga pengaruh budaya ini.
Gaya musik Son Meksiko
Son Mexicano berarti "suara" dalam bahasa Spanyol. Gaya musik pertama kali muncul pada abad ke-17 dan merupakan perpaduan musik dari tradisi pribumi, Spanyol dan Afrika, mirip dengan Son Kuba. Di Meksiko, musik menunjukkan banyak variasi dari satu daerah ke daerah lain, baik dalam ritme dan instrumentasi. Beberapa perbedaan regional ini meliputi Son Jarocho dari daerah sekitar Vera Cruz, Son Jaliscenses dari Jalisco, dan lainnya, seperti Son huasteco, Son calentano, Son michoacano.
Ranchera
Ranchera adalah hasil dari Son jaliscenses. Ranchera adalah jenis lagu yang secara harfiah dinyanyikan di peternakan Meksiko. Ranchera berasal pada pertengahan abad ke-19 tepat sebelum revolusi Meksiko. Musik itu berpusat pada tema tradisional cinta, patriotisme, dan alam. Lagu-lagu Ranchera bukan hanya satu ritme; gaya musiknya bisa seperti waltz, polka atau bolero. Musik Ranchera adalah formulaik, ia memiliki pengantar dan kesimpulan instrumental serta sebuah syair dan chorus di tengah.
Asal Mariachi
Kita cenderung menganggap mariachi sebagai gaya musik, tetapi sebenarnya adalah sekelompok musisi. Ada beberapa ketidaksepakatan tentang dari mana nama mariachi berasal. Beberapa sejarawan musik percaya bahwa itu berasal dari kata Prancis “mariage”, yang berarti "pernikahan," dan memang, kelompok mariachi masih merupakan bagian penting dari pernikahan di Meksiko. Sebuah teori alternatif berpendapat bahwa kata tersebut berasal dari kata Coca Indian yang awalnya merujuk pada platform di mana orkestra tampil. Orkestra Mariachi terdiri dari setidaknya dua biola, dua trompet, gitar Spanyol, dan dua jenis gitar lainnya, vihuela, dan guitarron. Jas charro, atau setelan penunggang kuda berhias, yang dikenakan oleh anggota band dikaitkan dengan Jenderal Portofino Diaz yang, pada tahun 1907, memerintahkan para musisi petani miskin untuk mengenakan pakaian ini agar terlihat bagus untuk dikunjungi oleh Sekretaris Negara AS. Tradisi telah hidup sejak itu.
Evolusi Mariachi
Mariachis memainkan banyak jenis musik yang berbeda, meskipun gaya ini terkait erat dengan musik ranchera. Awalnya musik mariachi dan ranchera kebanyakan tentang tema romantis, tetapi karena ekonomi Meksiko memburuk, hacienda tidak lagi mampu memiliki band mariachi sendiri di tempat dan mereka membiarkan para musisi pergi. Sebagai akibat dari pengangguran dan masa-masa sulit, mariachi mulai mengubah tema bernyanyi tentang pahlawan revolusioner atau peristiwa terkini.Pada awal abad ke-20, mariachi yang sebelumnya hanya dikenal melalui berbagai gaya daerah mereka mulai menyatu menjadi genre musik yang seragam, yang menjadi dikenal di seluruh Meksiko. Itu sebagian besar disebabkan oleh musisi Silvestre Vargas dan Ruben Fuentes dari grup mariachi "Vargas de Tecalitlan" yang memastikan bahwa musik populer ditulis dan distandarisasi.Pada tahun 1950-an, terompet dan harpa diperkenalkan ke orkestra, dan instrumentasi itu adalah apa yang saat ini dapat kita temukan di pita mariachi hari ini.