When He Paid A Visit

This is just a short story about this certain person, whom I’ve been in relationship with, for this past 9 months. Well, I’ve been living a long distance relationship with him for about 3 months now. Due to him having a job in Borneo Island, while I still have to finish my thesis here in Jogja. Once he got his two-weeks off, which was on last November, it was a bummer for me at first. Because I was actually in my hometown, Bengkulu, while he went back to Jogja.

But it’s no longer a bummer when he visited me to Bengkulu. Oh well, to be honest it looked like I was forcing him, but it turned out that he actually wanted to go there, after resting for a while in Jogja. So yeah… he actually came for 5 days, stayed in my house, got to know not only my parents but also my entire family (grandparents, cousins, uncles, aunties). We also went around Bengkulu, to some places tourists usually visit everytime they come to Bengkulu. He also got to know some of my friends. And honestly, they like him. My family and my friends. Last week when I went back to Bengkulu again for the family event, people actually asked about him. “mana Rizza?”. So that was a good sign, then? Btw, here are some photos we took during his stay. They weren’t really at the best quality since all of them were taken by my camera phone.

in front of one of Bengkulu heritages, Fort Marlborough

going around Bengkulu with Ayu, one of my bestfriends.

Bung Karno's house at Bengkulu

with my brother, Deza, right before leaving for Jogja (Deza just took a shower and was not yet dressed )

Well, bottom line, I just want him to know, how proud I am of him. And that visit meant a lot to me, and also to this relationship we’re having, and also to my family. Although, I certainly hope that won’t be his last visit. I believe there will be more to come. Soon.

Hometown

I’ve spent almost a month now in Bengkulu and will be coming back to Jogja on Wednesday. But I always love it here. It’s the best hometown one can ever get. Small town, without traffic jam, and less westernized (or modernized, for that matter) compare to bigger town in Indonesia. Although, lately they’ve built some malls and suddenly the whole town (especially teenagers) acted… I don’t know, less like they used to be and more… urban.

Well, to be honest, people teased me a lot about Bengkulu that is less developed compare to other places. They made fun about how we don’t have McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, and other things that symbolize modernism. But you know what? I don’t actually care about that. Yeah I have to admit I enjoy various modern and western stuff Jogja offers me, but when it comes to my hometown I don’t want it to be similar with it, full of rush, crowd and alive 24 hours.

I like living in Bengkulu, it’s so quiet in the night and sometimes when it’s not cloudy I can just stand in the front yard, look up, and actually see the stars. It sounds so corny, I know. But I love the fact that Bengkulu doesn’t have skyscrapers. I love the fact that I can pick up my sister from school and drive pass the beach just to see some wave and sands. I love the fact that it doesn’t take too long to reach into places because the road is never jammed.

Sometimes, I imagine one day I work here and everyday after work, when I get home, I can easily pass the beach and walk through it, enjoy the sunset, and arrive at home a few minutes later. I know people told me over and over, to go after my dreams. Go out and see the world. Get some scholarship abroad. Work in Ministry of Foreign Affairs so you can travel around the globe. I know, I want it too. But sometimes, deep down in the bottom of my heart I also consider of working here and enjoying the peaceful life. Everything seems so relax, no rush like in big cities. I want this town to be developed, but I don’t want it to be a copycat of Jakarta or any other big town.

I like it the way it is. And I’m so grateful to have it as a hometown.

it’s about everything

It’s a feeling when you can’t focus on something else but that thing, and that thing only. Although you know that there are so many things you need to prioritize. But you just don’t care. You got carried away by the feeling you have, just keep smiling and laughing, you sing random songs in the bathroom, hate yourself because you realized it’s a little bit too late, and you think you’ve already gone crazy. Crazy because of the feeling.

It sounds negative, yes I admit. But not anymore when you know how to put the energy you have to something else. Although you still don’t care about anything but that thing, you will go to class and will be able to say the right words when the teacher ask you. You got nerve to say things in the discussion, showed that you paid attention on the documentary movie they just played, although you still secretly text him while you watch it. You know your day is brightened, and you can’t wait for tomorrow because you believe there will be more beautiful things happen as you open your eyes and see it is already a brand new day. The distance is getting smaller. The holiday is approaching. Soon you see him in person. It won’t be long till the day come. And you just can’t help smiling if you think about it.

I don’t know. What is this?

I guess it’s something they called love. Yeah, it’s about love, the feeling I have.

Or maybe not. It’s not about love. It’s about everything. Nothing else matters.

Tour Guide

Yeah, apparently that’s my latest job since I moved back to Jogja from Singapore. Except, I’m not paid. But I’m happy about that. I got to visit a lot of tourism spots in Jogja, explored more, and learned more. Although, most of them I have visited/known already.

First week since I got back to Jogja, three of my Singaporean friends came to visit. They were Eugene, Darryl, and Gerald. They were backpacking and exploring Java and Bali. From Jakarta, Bandung, Jogja and finally Bali. I only met them once, though. Ista and I visited them in their guesthouse, and took them to Malioboro for souvenir shopping and to Tamansari for sightseeing. But unfortunately I didn’t get to see them again after that, until they went to Bali and finally headed back to Singapore.

Left-Right: Ista, Me, Gerald and Darryl at Tamansari (Photo taken by Eugene)

A few days later, my auntie and her friends just got back from a “work” trip in Bali and decided to stop for a few days in Jogja. I joined their trip to Borobudur, Ketep Pass, and Prambanan, all in one day!! That was one exhausting day, but still enjoyable. Although I fell asleep for so many times in the car they rented. Last night of their visit, we had dinner in Bakmi Kadin, which apparently is a very famous noodle place in Jogja. But I don’t really like it, the portion was too big and the taste was not that super.

A week later, Selfi — denny’s sister — came to visit Jogja because she just finished exams and started her loong loong holiday. She spent most of the time with Ista, of course, because they’re friends since junior high school. But on her last days I spent a lot of time with her because Ista was busy. It was also Ista’s birthday, so we bought present for her together. For the sake of showing her some historical and cultural site in Jogja, I went to Tamansari again. I also went to Ullen Sentalu, the cultural museum of Yogyakarta, with Selfi, Denny, and Dika. I like that museum. Unfortunately I didn’t get any picture because I didn’t bring my camera with me.

On the day Selfi left, Roy came from Singapore. Just like me, he’s also having his holiday before going to the Philippines for his charity work, and then finally back to England. He just arrived last Monday and started destroying Jogja. Showed card tricks to every friend I introduced to him. Even literally started picking people up and trying to spin them although he just knows them like two days. And hustle people! Crazy crazy Roy. One funny story about taking Roy around Jogja is when I took him to Tamansari (again! for me!). And it was just one day after I took Selfi to Tamansari. The guy in the parking lot talked to me, “you were here yesterday, weren’t you?”. I don’t know how to feel, proud that he remembered me, or ashamed because I keep coming back… But I don’t know, I just like Tamansari. I remembered some story behind the remained historical building. And I also am not ashamed about the fact that I’ve been there three times since I got back from Singapore (which is still less than a month).

Left-Right: Me, Andin, Ista, and Roy in Prambanan. (Photo taken by Andika)

Anyway, I still don’t consider myself as a good tour guide. Not because I keep coming back to Tamansari, but I’m still confused most of the time if someone just give all the responsibility to me and say “up to you, you’re the tour guide.” Places to eat also become a problem sometimes, because you can’t really tell what people want to eat and whether they like it or not. But it’s okay. I’ve learned a lot so far, and I still am learning. Could be a good job opportunity just in case I am not accepted in any governmental or private institution after I graduate? Haha, we’ll see… we’ll see…

Now What?

This is the fifth day since my arrival at Yogya. I still feel weird. Feels like my journey to Singapore was a really looong yet beautiful dream. Yogya is still the same, nothing really changed. Except for some new buildings in some places, most of them are shops. I just realized that I had problems with some friends that I didn’t really understand (till I got here). I haven’t solved it yet, but I hope I will work it out soon. It is stressing me out, really, as I had no idea it is still an issue.

At the moment, I’m avoiding the chance to go to campus. Since I have nothing to do there anyway. So I’m staying in my room all the time. Going online, sleeping, watching cable… Good thing people in the house still have time to hang out with me although they have been busy doing assignments (and dating with their boyfriends *ehem*).

First day was an exhausting one. I arrived around 1 PM and my room was soo messy. Well, my lovely housemates managed to clean it just before I arrived. They swept and mopped the floor, put on the bed sheets, and filled the water gallon. But as soon as I put all my luggage and started unpacking my things, it didn’t look like it was just cleaned anymore. Late in the evening on that day, some friends from campus came over and brought me a welcoming cake. Sooo sweet (thanks Ella, Sasa, Shiela, Nindya, and Dedek). The cake said “welcome home, Karin”. How sweet was that? We enjoyed the cake, took some pictures, and I shared some chocolate and jelly beans I brought from Singapore.

Now I don’t really have anything to do. I still need to take care about KKN (my community service for my university credits), but other than that, I’m a jobless person. Once I asked Ella to ask me to join them when they have study group or something like that. Sally was there, she looked shocked, she touched my forehead and asked “are you sick?”, just because I really want to join them studying. Ella thought I’m that bored. The thing is, I just want to do something. And I always love studying in a group. Actually, I’ve been longing for that since I was still in Singapore. So it won’t be that bad, will it?

I’m going to Semarang tomorrow, spend my weekend there. Just because Andin wants to go home, so I think I might be able to finally do something if I join her. So yeah, I’ll be at Semarang for 2 days and 1 night. Enjoy some homey atmosphere in Andin’s house. I miss my family, actually. Really want to go home to Bengkulu but I still haven’t fixed my KKN thing. Plus, some Singaporean friends will come to Yogya next week. I promised them that I will take them around, so I can’t really go home.

So, what for now? Not much. Just enjoy my day-offs, and try to not get too bored.

Thailand!!

 

the group photo at Karan Beach, Phuket

Yay! I just got back from my 5 days trip to Thailand, Bangkok and Phuket. I went to Bangkok with Grace, Sita, and Amal. All are exchange students at NUS. At first, we were afraid because the unstable condition of politic in Thailand, especially in Bangkok. But as soon as we arrived in Bangkok, we completely forgot that there were riots just a while before we arrived there. Maybe because it was also Songkran holiday, the new year for Thai people. Soon four of us had so much fun shopping at Cathucak market. I kinda regret the fact that I only stayed there for one and a half day. So I didn’t get to visit good places in Bangkok.

The second night we spent in the bus, 12 hours from Bangkok to Phuket. We arrived early in the morning and met up with the rest of the group. They were Alvin, Yushi, Josef, Roy, Monse, John, Jesse, Ashley, Morten, Carmen, and Jennifer. We swam in Karon Beach and Kata Beach for that first day in Phuket. I shared room with Grace in the Pineapple Guesshouse, the hostel where we stayed. The next day, we went to Phi Phi island, around 2 hours from Phuket. We stayed in Tropical Garden Guesthouse and I was so glad when I had my lunch there because the owner is a Muslim, and they served me a Phad Thai (Thai noodle), the best that I ever had on my trip in Thailand. We did a half-day sunset tour to Monkey Beach (where we did not see any monkey), Phi Phi Lay (kick-ass place to snorkel, according to Lonely Planet), and Maya Beach (where Leonardo DiCaprio’s  “The Beach” was filmed). Sisi caught up with us as she arrived in Phuket and took the boat to Phi Phi. That day, our group was complete, 16 people. That night I shared room with Roy and Josef, because Alvin made me do that. But Roy said, among all the girls, I am the most possible person to share room with them. Well, nothing happened. Except Josef and Roy did a lot of gay things in front of me. Oh, and it was also Roy’s birthday. Jesse, Monse, John, Roy, Josef and I were talking and fooling around in our room to celebrate Roy’s birthday.

The next day, we took the boat from Phi Phi back to Phuket. We didn’t do any beach things anymore. Just wandered around Phuket and bought some souvenirs (I didn’t get any, I had enough shopping in Bangkok). Around 4.30 PM, Most of them headed to the airport, they were Yushi, Josef, Monse, Alvin, John, Jesse, Ashley, Morten, and Roy. While Amal, Sita, Sisi, Carmen, Jennifer, Grace, and I stayed for one more night. That night we went to Central Festival, a mall in Phuket. We took Tuk-Tuk to get there. We didn’t really buy anything but we managed to find a cheap food inside the mall.But some of them were really spicy. Grace didn’t finish her meal, and Amal and I also couldn’t finish our mango salad.

We left for the airport really early in the next morning. But Sisi still stayed there for one more night. I was so tired but I also had fun in the trip. That was my final trip while I’m in Singapore, and also the last trip with the exchange students.

Now I have to focus with my final exams. I can’t believe I’ll be having my first exam in 15 hours from now. Gyaaaa!!!