Old Man & The Sea (at Pantai Pangandaran)

and here i am standing

much awed by the mighty ocean

by the Window, Absorbed, Once More

I used to go to Vit's room back then. He owned a supercool tape, a large window to sit by, and being a student of Indonesian Literature a great selection of books. he introduced me to Burung-burung Manyar, Bumi Manusia, and Catatan Seorang Demonstran among others. (I'd sit by his window, reading while Vit would played metal bands whose music I could bear like Extreme.)

I grew very fond of the latter book, colored red, written by  Soe Hok Gie. i was hooked instantly. it was 1999. it was fun to read and very inspiring. he visited Mt Semeru in my hometown. not even I have climbed it. it's where he died. quite young.

Last Wednesday Deste introduced me to one online site. she was ordering a book written by her friend. i asked her, does it have Soe Hok Gie's? No, she said. meanwhile i was clicking about this book by Rudy Badil, entitled Norman Edwin. I said to her, Pls order me this one and we can save delivery money.

two days later the book hadn't arrived yet. I grew impatient. i lost my newly sown faith in online shopping!, i said to Deste in an air of a drama king. lol. i ws expecting to read it over the weekend!

this morning the two books arrived. Norman Edwin from that lazy online store and Catatan Seorang Demonstran from Adeste (she lends it.)

i had a difficulty in choosing. i want to read both. While lunching, I skimmed Norman Edwin and read through everything written about Gunung Gede, the volcano friends and i climbed last week.

now here i am, sitting by my window, renewing acquaintance with Soe Hok Gie. once again i put layers of respect for this person. ever productive, idealist, brave and honest person, activist, gentleman. (i had been looking for Gie's book for a very long time.)

then in the middle, i switched to Norman Edwin and learnt both Gie and Norman had things in common: Mapala members, UI students, conquered mountaintops, and died there.

Norman Edwin contains the travel writings he submitted to media, while Catatan Seorang Demonstran contains diary entries by Gie.

it's timely that the books arrived at the same time.

inspiring. good reads i will recommend to anyone!

Castle in the Sky ("Negeri di Awan")

Last night, it was German's triumph over Argentina. but Anast, Erika, and I din care much. we chose to sing the night away in a panic room. amid the playlist, i inserted "secretly" Negeri di Awan (Land in the Clouds, its literal translation), a song by Katon Bagaskara. it was my only favorite Indonesian song because I loooved--and still do--the video. it was done by Garin Nugroho. it is very indonesian both in scenery and feel.

watching this video again, i was moved. i jumped and thought, i know this place! Ambarawa, no? i remember last December I went there with Ent, Fit, Ocha, Cupay, and Yudi, riding the train to the rice fields and Lake Rawa Pening nearby.

and while i was being mellowed out by the video and the music--and the lyric, Erika ruined it all. she exploded at the sight of Katon's mullet. Lol. Annast and i couldnt not laugh along.

"hey, you must forgive him. it was the coolest look back then," i barked :))

and now i am checking it once more.

Sometimes, I Love Getting Lost

because it's fun sometimes. (never have i intended to get lost!) i have to ask people for directions. and most of the times, i receive more than just directions but also kindness. i guess, they are angels unaware.

Happy Sunday, Class of 1987!

(from Abbe de Witt and Ron de Witt)

i was so sad to lose the bundle. it contained about 25 letters from other continent. they were children my age. i was 9 back then. i used to store it in the rack in the grey cabinet Papi built to cage the TV set. one day the bundle just disappeared. i was so sad.

one boy told me of his opossum pet, another told me of their siblings, and another told about their separated parents. the letters were colorful, i mean they drew pictures of themselves, opossums. it opened the world of a 9 yr old boy i was. they even said, they hanged my pic in the classroom! i was so flattered. they din even know me and i couldnt even speak english! i had no idea in which place they lived. they signed every letter. Abbe de Witt and Ron de Witt, their teachers, encouraged them to write to me. from that day, i often went to library to learn about the States and dreamed someday i'd go there.

one card survived to this day. it's very special. it reminds me of the act of kindness. would love to know who they are, what they are doing, and where they live. i've tried to search the teachers via internet but it haven't been fruitful yet.

wherever you are, whatever you do, the 9 year old boy would like to thank you once again. happy Sunday to you, Class of 1987!

In a Glade, Chasing Rainbow's End

From the top of Gunung Gede, I look beyond this open space or meadow or what i consider very poetic: a clearing in the wood. seeing glade Surya Kencana from above reminded me of a scene from Finian's Rainbow.

it's as if i saw a rainbow's end.

i wonder how vast it is! very beautiful from above, lined with Javanese edelweiss bush--all in bloom! all my sorrows (headache from midday heat, dehydration) soon were forgotton.

it was bliss!

what's up doc?

last Wednesday, the doc told me to have some rest but the offer was too interesting to resist: friends asked me if i could join them climbing Gunung Gede.

reading their mails, i was taken back to 2000 when friends of Garda Hijau and moi tried to climb it. amateurs we were--as i still am today--we only made it to Cibereum Waterfall and camped nearby. This time i have to make it to the summit, i said to myself.

so i did quick packing and off I went to meet Umi, Mamet, Phie, Jainer, Rudy, Toto, Emma, Hanum, Adink, Jaman, Dony. happy to see them!

i only guess that the track would be as "easy" and as "short" as in Mount Ijen (3 km from Post I to the summit) in East Java.

i was shocked to learn it took 8 hrs to reach campground Kandang Badak and another 2 hrs to the summit! 1 hrs down to glade Surya Kencana, 30 min to its edge, and as if not enough: 5 hrs walking in the darkness to reach Gunung Putri.

beyond my calculation, I did it. We did it. and on the last few miles I walked in the moonlit path and thought, how can't i be ungrateful?

we made it and i felt so much healthier despite some leg fatigue :)