Beginilah Rasanya Berusia 21

Rasanya? Sebetulnya biasa aja. Yah, sama aja lah kaya kemaren, cuma berubah tanggal doang. Cuma meresmikan usiaku aja, dengan datangnya tanggal 1 itu. Meskipun begitu aku tetap senang. Bukan karena nambah umur (atau berkurang umur?), tapi karena orang-orang yang memberikan perhatian dengan memberikan ucapan dan doa. Doa sih sebetulnya yang paling penting. Dan kesediaan mereka untuk meluangkan waktu beberapa detik sekedar mengucapkan selamat ulang tahun, happy birthday, selamat milad, selamat hari lahir, maligayang bati, dan macam-macam lah istilahnya tapi artinya buatku cuma satu: happiness. Mudah-mudahan semuanya didengar dan dijawab oleh Yang Maha Kuasa, aamiin.

Oh iya, tambah senang juga karena yang ditunggu-tunggu akhirnya datang juga. Udah lama dipantengin, bolak-balik dicek. Ada ga ya? Ada ga ya? Ada kali setengah jam, tapi waktu yang ditunggu itu datang rasanya plong gitu. Meskipun tambah deg-degan juga. Rasanya pengen bilang “sudah satu ini saja pun cukup rasanya”. Apakah itu? Haha, rahasia sajalah. Biar waktu nanti yang jawab. (sok misterius dan benar-benar minta ditimpuk)

Anyhooow, mumpung lagi nulis post, sekalian saja lah saya bercerita. Emang ga nyambung sama judul tulisan ini, tapi sekalian ajalah daripada bikin 2. Soalnya aku lagi pengen pamer foto, kemaren jalan-jalan ke ulen sentalu (bukannya mikirin skripsi!), bareng Rani dan Andin, plus Mas Dani dan Bang Rizza yang ceritanya temen-temennya Bayu yang merupakan pacar dari Andin. Bayu-nya malah ga ikut, tiba-tiba ada acara apa gitu. Ini beberapa yang menurutku lumayan bagus dari kameranya Rani. Aku udah minta yang dari kameranya Mas Dani tapi belum sempet diambil. Lengkapnya ntar tungguin di facebook aja. Tapi entah kapan ke-upload. Yang jelas bukan aku yang bakal ngupload. Hehe…

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Beginilah cewek-cewek yang sering khilaf kalo lagi narsis...

Niatnya bikin tangga tapi kayanya aku dan Andin jadi kayak nahan pipis gitu.

Group photo, sehabis minum minuman yang konon membuat awet muda, yang hampir semuanya ditenggak habis Mas Dani.

Yah, begitulah, lumayan asik kemaren. Terima kasih untuk Mas Dani dan Bang Rizza yang mau nemenin kita-kita yang masih muda-muda ini.

Sekarang apa? Oh iya, kan aku masih ulang tahun! Haha, doaku, semoga aku tidak pernah lupa bersyukur. Semoga bisa menyelesaikan apa-apa yang menjadi prioritas saat ini dan tidak dengan mudah ter-distract hal-hal yang tidak menjadi prioritas (atau belum, mungkin akan di masa depan). Aamiin…

Terima kasih buat yang sudah membaca dan juga sudah mendoakanku di hari lahirku ini. It may just a simple thing for you to do, but it means THE WORLD to me!

Yihii, 21 tahun!!

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…

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!!!

cerita pasca lebaran

Hm… Sekarang aku sudah kembali lagi ke Jogja. Sudah hari ketiga sejak aku datang ke kota rantauan ini, dan yaah, everything is quite the same. Masih kos-kosan yang sama, dengan orang-orang dengan kegilaan dan keautisan yang sama. Jalan kaliurang yang masih tetap susah disebrangin. Di kampus pun masih banyak makhluk-makhluk ajaib yang kukenal dari dulu. Dosen-dosen juga masih tetap garing seperti biasa. Intinya, ga ada yang berubah dari Jogja. Kecuali, mungkin, tambah rame. Well, tapi tulisan ini bukan untuk menceritakan Jogja, melainkan cerita tentang liburan dua minggu-ku di kampung halamanku, BENGKULU.

Selesai dari derita muntaber, aku dan dua orang sahabat, Nikki dan Adiet, berniat untuk mengeksplorasi objek-objek wisata di kota kami tercinta. Setelah melewati diskusi dan perdebatan yang cukup panjang, diputuskan kami akan bermain-main ke pantai (salah satu tujuan wisata utama di Bengkulu), dan sebuah bangunan peninggalan jajahan Inggris bernama Benteng Marlborough.

Tujuan pertama, pantai, seperti biasa jika lebaran selalu dipadati oleh orang-orang yang kebanyakan datang dari kabupaten-kabupaten di provinsi Bengkulu dan memanfaatkan liburan dengan melancong ke kota. Pantai yang paling ngetop di Bengkulu adalah Pantai Panjang (bahasa bulenya Long Beach gitu), tapi pantai yang aku kunjungi ini adalah ‘pantai baru’, alias pantai yang jalannya baru dibuka, terusan dari Pantai Panjang. Aku setuju bahwa pantai di Bengkulu lumayan bagus. Hm, sebenernya bisa bagus banget. Sayangnya masalah klasik yang bikin keindahannya jadi berkurang selalu tidak pernah bisa diatasi dari tahun ke tahun, yaitu: KOTOR. Perawatan yang kurang membuat pantai yang indah jadi biasa-biasa aja, dan kami bertiga cuma bisa tersenyum miris melihatnya. Satu-satunya kemajuan yang lumayan konkrit adalah, dulu kalo masuk pantai bayar, diitung per orang. Tapi sekarang sudah gratis. Hehe, dan mahasiswa kan biasalah sensitif dengan hal-hal yang gratis.

yang paling kanan adiet, yang di tengah nikki, yang di kiri tentu saja karina yang cantik dan mempesona

perahu-perahu yang dipake nelayan untuk mencari ikan

Selesai mengeksplor pantai, tujuan berikutnya adalah Benteng Marlborough. Terakhir aku berkunjung ke bangunan ini waktu kelas 5 SD kalo ga salah. Masuknya murah, cuma bayar seribu. Tapi parkirnya mahal, dua ribu. Bangunannya tua (ya iyalah, jaman sebelum merdeka) dan besar, berdiri di pinggir pantai Tapak Paderi, dan kalo kita naik ke bagiannya yang tinggi bisa ngeliat pemandangan pantai yang buagus banget, apalagi kalo lagi terang. Sayangnya pemandangan itu agak terganggu dengan warung-warung tenda yang dibangun di sepanjang pantai, lagi-lagi bikin kotor. Bentengnya sendiri sebetulnya keren, sayangnya di beberapa ‘kamar-kamar’ yang konon dulunya dipake buat penjara jadi bauuu banget karena dipake buat pipis. Iiiiih… Coba dibangun toilet pasti lebih bersih, orang-orang ga pipis sembarangan deh.

pintu penjara yang dalemnya bau pesing. Iiiiiihh...

dari sini nih bisa keliatan pantainya

Hm, pada akhirnya, meskipun dengan banyak keluhan di sana sini, kami bertiga cukup puas dengan jalan-jalan ini. Merupakan refreshing yang menyenangkan di liburan pendek yang cuma didapatkan dua atau tiga kali selama setahun. Yah, sedikit berkorban juga dengan muka yang gosong dan kaki yang belang karena pake sendal, soalnya matahari Bengkulu sedang panas-panasnya. After all, berkunjung ke tempat wisata di kampung halaman sendiri membuat aku semakin mencintai kota kecil yang tenang ini. Dengan tambahan harapan semoga seiring berjalannya waktu, tempat wisata yang harusnya bisa jadi andalan ini bisa jadi lebih baik dan terawat. Ya, mudah-mudahan…