River Boys

I bought the book Beach Boys, written by an India author and you will have to believe that I haven’t finished it until now. Phew, it was 5 months ago. Well, the story is not disappointing, but still I haven’t managed to read it until the last page. As usual, the cover gets me into it. The picture of three dark brown skin boys, they are jumping right into the water. As, M sometimes says, a good color combination blue and brown is.



In my last trip to Marante, Tana Toraja, I had a chance to capture those dark brown skin boys, happily played by the river. Naked and innocent, so eager and not afraid of the water. As a citizen girl, I’m kind of jealous of them. They were really free and happy as can be. Ripped of their clothes, hanged by the bridge and jump right into the river. Beside the loud sound of splashing water, you can still hear their notorious laughter.

A friend once said that I am a free soul. Well, had met those river boys, you should rethink again, dear friend. As you can see me and my beib, Henny, on the bridge, loosing our balance and afraid to fall.

Sometimes it is not good to loose your balance. But once you loose it, be brave to fall gracefully, get wet, and still release a good laugh. After all, you learn how to swim. And being watery soaked is not that bad.More picture here

That is just the way he is

The best. And he is still is.

Today, I texted him, wishing to be home by Friday night, together with him. The ride with him is always fun, accompanied by smooth melody of jazz or acoustic guitar. And stopping by between the trips adds more fun, for he is the real omnivore, can eat every food and magically enjoy them all. He also likes to spend some times on cups of coffee. Hazelnut Latte, his favorite. Or just bottles of mineral water and green tea, stocked up in the dashboard drawer of the vehicle.

Catching up stories with him also can be a great thing. I can learn a whole lotta thing from him. He is a professional in his career, have traveled to many countries and read amount of books. No wonder he can throw you million opinions and you would just stare at, overwhelmed. And his witty sense of humor, spice up our conversation, do silly things in the name of fun, and made me burst out in laughter.

So, I texted him. Although he is extremely busy, for having his life between cities, but he always manages to pick up my phone or reply my text message. Plus, he puts a picture of me on my graduation day as his mobile screen saver. Isn't he sweet?

Hey, can I join you for your weekend trip to Bandung?

An hour has passed. My cell phone still lay quietly on my office table. Oh, well, maybe he is on the fly mode or hasn’t rearranged any trip yet. Never mind.
Then suddenly my ring tone was in the air, his name flashed up on the screen and I picked up the phone. “Hello...”

And I didn’t hear any answer at all. But... that was his voice! I can hear his was explaining something in front of audience who sometimes asked questions. Didn’t know exactly what the topic is, but I guess it was about water and sanitation and such stuffs. Professional in this field, and will gladly share everything about it with everyone, that’s just the way he is. And, accidentally press the wrong button of his PDA, is just the way he is as well.

An hour later, he texted me, he wouldn’t go to Bandung today. Oh, well, it’s OK. I can go to Bandung by my self and let’s just meet in Bandung after haven’t met for more than a month. See you there. And he did it again; accidentally press the wrong button so I can rely on his lecture. This time I took the offer and tried to capture it.

After listening to his ‘lecture’ I hang up the phone and trying to concentrate on my maps. It was hard, because I kept thinking about him and has this heart suddenly wrapped around by imaginary blanket after listening to the lecture. I am proud, I really am.

Even though he presses the wrong button many times, but he is the best. And still is.

Love you, Pa.

A question you should ask yourself

Am I happy?
And said sadly, I’m not. There you go, tears in my cheeks. How can I be happy? I have this accute syndrome of missing my life in Aceh. And somehow I have this dream of visiting another places. Maybe not only visiting, but trying to adjust my daily life there. I don’t want to live in a skycrapper apartments, where the inhabitants barely meet each other. Instead, I want to live in a small house in Seubon Ayon, where every afternoon I can play with the kids on the blocks. Ouch, how pathetic I am.

Am I reaching my dreams? Or am I stumbling behind? What is this path I’m stepping on? It is smooth as it can be, but I’m afraid to slip on it. Am I that happy girl she used to wonder about?

Then again, I quoted Allie from Taken:

Allie Keys: When everything in your life is right on track, it's easy to believe that things happen for a reason; it's easy to have faith. But when things start to go wrong then it's very hard to hold on to that faith. It's hard not to wonder whose reasons these things happen for.

The end of the year is close. New days are waiting to come. While most of my friends tag this line: “It’s time to move on.” I convince my self again and again, back and forth: It’s time to hang on.

Are you? Happy?

Gold in the Air of Summer

So, I’ve been here for days. And I’m sure you want me to be with you. I can see it in your eyes. Those twinkles.And our workload, they are nothing to compare the joy when we share the laughters. Just like old friends who haven’t seeing each others for ages. Or maybe long lost brothers and sisters that used to eat from the same plate or clashed over candies.

I didn't know if you wanted to,
when I came to pick you up.
But you didn't even hesitate,
and now you and me are on our way.
I think I've brought everything we need,
so don't look back,
don't think of the other places you should have been
it's a good thing that you came along with me.

So, I will be back in town in couple of days. And I’m sure that’s the last thing you want to face. I can see it in your eyes. They can shed a tear even if you don’t want to.
Or let me just be. And please grab your guitar then sing the song for me. And I will keep the promise for you.

Gold in the air of summer,
you'll shine like gold in the air of summer.

Gold In the Air of Summer – KoC

Will surely keep the shine on

Innocently violent

They say age is just a number, and the memories proof you are old. And I’m still recalling things you said to me. Or, maybe not said directly, you used your mouth mostly for other activities.

In the dim of dawn light, I found my self as a version of teenage high school girl. Or maybe a freshman from college who wake up next to you. Innocence, yet so brave to do mature things. And you are a stranger who wakes up next to me. Tall and strong, yet so fragile when we were this close. We’ve been here for few days, with not much particular things to do. But there’s nothing more I wanted to do with you anyway.

Days like this should be put in our past. When we didn’t know each other, and busy with our sticky life. When we were young and hot and live the life with full curiosity. We were not afraid to do things we want to do. We crossed the boundaries and do everything on experimental basis. I believe you were slightly skinnier and my eyes have a lot more twinkles. We probably have the same skin tone, back and now. But, damn how we are proud of our appearances now.

When you slowly stroke my hair, and I unconsciously pretended nothing happened, I knew it. This was unregretful spontaneous things I want to have back then. And when we were facing each other, I knew it. This was the missing emotion I should have back then. The young adult woman’s feeling written literally in teenlits genre novels. So eager to explore and and not afraid to try anything. To fall gracefully in love and not ashamed to cry over a heartache.

Taken from Taken

There was one moment in my life, when I was busy with my bachelor degree final project. I could not go faraway, and decided to stays at home a lot. Then I found a refreshment. Well, kinda of. I watched a lot of movies. And there was this mini series, 7 episodes, about UFO and such things. I’m not into science fiction whatsoever, I’d rather stick to festival film about daily life and absurd love story. But this Steven Spielberg fascinated me, really.

It was Taken. And since I saw the mini series, I have this disbelief about ugly green creature with long arms and big black eyes. Probably 7 times two hours shows were all it takes to explain all that out of this world phenomenon. War of the World, another Spielberg movie about UFO, can not even compete Taken movie trailer.

But it is not the UFO that I really fond of. It was Allie. The little girl character in Taken, who used to write in her diary about her life. Very innocent, yet so mature to reflect her questionaires and wonder about it all.

Here, I quoted some of them from this site:

Allie Keys: Sometimes the best way to move into the unknown is to take familiar steps, small steps. To do ordinary things to deal with something that is in no way ordinary. We're always going someplace new, all the time. Familiar things just let us pretend that we aren't moving into unfamiliar territory. You take those small familiar steps, and you try to be honest, not to live as if nothing had changed but still to go on with your life. But there are times when what you need is a piece of how things used to be.

Oh, I love Taken. Not only for showing high tech visual effects, but for Allie's thoughtful diary that gives me insight. They howed me how to see this life from different point of view, and how things can be so differentiate.

Wish You Were Here Is Not Only Written in a Postcards

Pulau Peucang, 20 October 2007

Dear Babe,
Have been missing you very much. I’m here, in such a paradise, with 8 boys, and they are nothing compare to you. Uhm, most of them are my old friends, and connecting with them was like opening an old diary. Names, places and memories sometimes pop up in my head.

If I’m not mistaken, we’ve been missing each other recently. I know there will be another session of running away from reality, only time will define. But, surely, I will do that again with you, babe. We are definitely a great team when it comes to the beach. We stuff our backpack with goggles, bikinis, mosquitoes repellent, mineral water, MP3 player + portable speaker, bigframe sunglasses, teabags and of course thousand stories of our rollercoaster life.

You are one of a rare kind that can enjoy the beach exactly the way I do. Some pepole can never enjoy the beach, they say beach is too hot and sticky and nothing challenging about it. Some people can enjoy it too much by diving into it and never mind the sunset. While the rest afraid of the sun and prefer to go to the mall instead.

I don’t know what is it with me and you and beach, babe. I love blue and beige color. So the sky, the water, and the sand are perfect combination. I also enjoy the freedom of minimalist outfit to wear. A plain t-shirt, short and flip flops, that’s all you have to wear to enjoy the place. Ouw, and you know I have started a set of bikinis collection.

My friend, Blinky, once said, that the best way to enjoy the beach is to sit in a distance, not too far so you still can enjoy the breeze and the scenery, accompanied by a bottle of cold beer. For me, the best part of summer holiday is when we have cups of tea or coffee, after all afternoon of swimming and getting our skin tanned. Our hearts are still warm because of the sunset. Seems like the sun gives its shine for us before it take a rest for a while. The quiet of the evening and the sounds of our laughter. The way we manage to reach the shoreline and proof that our dark skin is still exotically attempting. Surely, I will repeat it once more. Ah, this kind of missing you is too painful, babe.

Please remind me one day, if we are old and too busy with our family life, that this kind of escapade is willing to be taken again. We couldn’t run forever babe, but at least knowing that you are exist in the world, make me realize that I’m not the only person who’s in love with the sea and worship it like crazy. Together we are strong babe. Jalesveva jayamahe. Haha.

Still the question popped up in my head, what is it with you and me and the beach, Babe?

Love, as always,

Dita