6th Jan 2006
For us who stay outside Indonesia, apparently we feel the effect of the fuel hike too. The plane ticket jump quite high, need to fork out forty fifty percent more for this short trip to Jakarta. My patriotic side (suppose that I have) agree that it’s time for the rise, that the country need it bla bla bla and maybe we are the country with the cheapest fuel, but my skeptical side (I sure have) keep asking whether the country income from the fuel hike would go to the right place.
My religious side tells me to kneel down and pray, and then my favorite side tells me to have a snack and cut this introduction crap.
Touched down at 10.00 pm, missing link would remain a secret, arrived at hotel. Met my parent and my youngest brother, the groom to be. We had short chats, and since it was late and we had big day ahead, we turned in.
7th Jan 2006
Woke up early and dressed up for church ceremony. It took place in my ex-high school, ST, actually ex-high school of all of my siblings and me, too bad for this wedding my eldest brother was away.
I miss this school; I miss the teenage moments (gak tau malu), the norak-norak phase, ngeceng and dikecengin, and all the sweet sweet moments. Mhehhehe, maklum, pubeeeeerrrrrrr…..! (some Indonesian words are not possible to be translated).
Eh..! ST is so different now. Maybe it was Saturday also, but I couldn’t see all my favorite tukang-tukang gerobak. Where are they now? And they extended the church. The church I used to visit every morning for short pray and had a short-lived crush on one of the regular guy. The church where I got @#$@^^%$ angry with one of the pastor. The church where I liked to hide when I feel the need.
Ten-eleven years ago!
The church was decorated nicely, left over from Christmas. The ceremony went nicely, and I liked the choir, and also, the mass. Hmmm…I still remember the phrases, the words and the sequence and it’s done in Indonesian! (gue sering bengong2 cengo ama misa bahasa Inggris di sini).
As usual, as always, my eyes were hot when it was the time to thank the parent. Not as much as they saw us growing up, we saw them growing old. It’s painful to see them graying. Life’s just unfair.. they dedicate their time and when we are able to stand on our own, we get married and have family of our own.
But of course, it’s a happy occasion and happy tears.
After ceremony, it was the registry time. I had a peek inside the school, but didn’t dare to go in with my alien look and high heel. Mwahhahaha….but feeling so nostalgic, I sent sms to my good ST pal, using Mom’s phone which had been successfully stolen by me for a while. Then we had to parade back to hotel and got really busy for the rest of the day, so when he called back, I was away from my stolen hp, and could only return his call the day after.
We had teh-pai in the hotel, then spent time playing with my two nephews, they are cute and naughty. Went through the hell out of make-up, and prepared for the wedding dinner. It was exhausting. Together with Hubby, second brother and wife, we stood at the gate as the welcomers from the groom’s side. As usual, smile, giggling, pretended to know some never seen before relatives and played hide and seek with those kepo folks with their usual, ehm, bigger family question, and some hilarious embarrassing moments which fit better in other story.
It was quite fun. I met a lot of cousin I hardly seen, time really flies, they are all adult now! Those small naughty boys and girls…that’s mean, I’m almost old…. Whachaaaa!.....
As usual, the most agonizing of all, family pictures. Big family, original family, etc… it’s a hard tradition to break. I’m sure no one enjoyed the mess and the effort needed to gather everybody while we were tired and ..hungry…but it’s sure nice to see the pictures later.
8-10th Jan 2006
Party is over…! We headed back home, it was the first time I saw the new house. We moved few houses away from the old one; this is just a bigger version.
It felt just nice to gather with family again, now it’s not just six of us, but we have all the in-laws, that mean I have additional three sisters I never had. My first two sister in-laws have the same problem with me, we only have brothers, but apparently and of course, I think, they are still more girly than me.
We had dinner together, minus big brother and my dad, they were overseas, and the newlywed couple who was having holiday with bride’s family. The last time I went Jakarta, which was in November 2004, that time we really gathered together for family picture and when we went for dinner, we occupied the whole row of long long table. So, this time, minus a bit. On the Tuesday I went to my uncle’s gathering, as usual, for the kids, me, my brother and sister in-laws, we tried to shorten the visit as soon as we could. :)
Called my friends, miss everyone a lot. Failed to contact a friend, but managed to talk with most of them, promised a few to have regular chat eventhough I’m back here. Missed the ST reunion on December, it must have been fun. Collect some wedding invitation for year ahead and great news about new babies. Who-ha…feeling really old…
Guess everyone always have some soft spot for the past. Although we feel older at times, but in a strange way, time is always catching up to match us. For example, when I was a teenager, I feel the music in the radio, the trend and the movie were made for our ages. Vice versa and always. Now I feel the things in the radio etc are dedicated to those around my age. Mhehhehe…ngaku-ngakunya…
Jakarta…, for some reason, this visit, I felt Jakarta had become a better place. I got a sense that it was safer and more comfortable. Maybe it’s my hope only, or maybe it’s true?
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A sailor rides out the storm without losing his love for the sea.
-- Pat Brady
Young men think old men are fools; but old men know young men are fools.
-– Truman Capote
What doesn't kill me makes me stronger.
-- Nietzsche
Time is nature's way of keeping everything from happening at once.
-- Unknown
It takes about ten years to get used to how old you are.
-- Unknown
Always read the stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.
-- P.J. O'Rourke
