Indo Oct trip

And so here I am, in my dad’s office with a deadly electric racquet for mosquitoes. In the last 30 minutes I have amazingly killed two of them with my eyes closed. I tried to mimic the pro Wimbledon champion’s moves made by my mom and dad, but I still couldn’t do it with my eyes open. That really tells you how long I had been away from home. Despite all my warrior moves to defend myself, they still managed to bit me twice. I am quite allergic to the mosquitoes bite that it would swollen to a 1.5 cm pink lumps with about 3 cm pink rashes around the perimeter. And they stayed there for a few days. Ghee..

I just got off the plane from Semarang yesterday, from attending my dearest friend wedding. I was dragging my small red luggage, my new Cecilia Ahern masterpiece.. as I ran toward my mom and dad who has been anxiously waiting for me. The plane from Semarang to Jakarta could not land due to the bad weather conditions in Jakarta. No wonder they were worried, as the airport crews never changed the estimated arrival time on the airport screen. On the plane, I was waiting impatiently to switch on my phone so that I could text them as the pilot made a brief announcement telling us that he had diverted the plane to Indramayu. After about 45 minutes, we finally landed and it could have been worse as I found out that a few earlier flights to Jakarta had been diverted to Palembang.

This was not the first flight delays as on my way to Melb, the pilot could not start the engine to take off and we had to stay on our seats for a long one hour before the service man fixed the loose wiring probably :P. I spent probably a long two hours, wondering what would happen if the engine stop again on the air. I was not being a pessimist, but there was a chance of course that anything could happen and so one thought appeared after another. I was recapping what if the worse happened, had I live my life to the full or had I filled my life enough and would I leave this world in regrets, had I tell my loved ones that I loved them, or most importantly do they know it. Had I done anything differently.. thoughts after thoughts appeared on my mind until I fell asleep.

I got off the plane, from Jakarta to Semarang with full anticipation. I couldn’t wait to see my baby friend. Yes.. she is my baby friend.. She is the only closed friend of mine that was younger than me. I tried to spot her from a distance as I was waiting on my luggage. But could not spot her at all.. For some reasons my luggage always come out last wherever I arrived.

I finally walked out the gate. Couldn’t find anyone and ghee, ‘she never change.. always late and never do things on time”. Walking towards the parking lot I could hear a giggling voice behind me. Recognizing the evils cheeky giggles, I turned back and gave her a big smack for hiding as she tried to tickle me for her defend. That was how we greeted each other after 6 years.

It was my first time being a bridesmaid for my friends. I wasn’t feeling very comfortable as I walked inside the Church.. but tried to focus my mind on the actual event. After my long wait of anticipation, the sounds of the piano and the choir finally began to fill up the whole room. My eyes were flooded wet as I saw a beautiful bride standing next to her father.. walking down the Church aisle. That was when I realized my baby friend was getting married. She was very pretty.. even behind the veil, we could all see her sparkling eyes. As she stepped into the altar, all eyes were on her... She showed no hesitation but a lot of conviction in her steps.. I still remember playing “octopus” game with her (dun ask me what this is). At least that was what I tried to think about, to prevent further flooding that would ruin my mascara. From being a victim in the octopus game to now being a beautiful bride.. I tried not to blink my eyes fearing that I would miss the moments...as she was then handed by her dad to the groom.

Later in that evening, It was then my turn to walk behind her down the aisle… in a green bridesmaid gown that was slightly too long and very interesting SMG hairstyle. I was clearly more nervous than her.. holding my bouquet of flowers, I tried not to step on her gown as we marched in. Again, all eyes and spot light were on the bride and groom. So beautiful and charming.. what a perfect couple.

“Clumsy bridesmaid” that was what my chiobu friends said about me. Ahhahah. Wearing dresses and make ups was not a piece of cheese for me. Being a full time nerd, It took a very special occasion like this to make me dress up. Not to mention…

I forgot what I wanted to write just now.. Distracted by my mom plan to sell Hamburger. The cake shop had been running for almost 8 years now. Cake shop at the front of the shop and dad’s kitchen utensils shop at the back, a separate production facility 50 meter from the office and an actual shop in the market. Everyone is so busy moving around, carrying cake tins and boxes of cakes.

The alarmed rang, It was my last day in Semarang. I packed my stuff back to the tiny suitcase. Take a picture of my beautiful bouquet of bridesmaid flowers. Pondering whether I should take it back with me to Jakarta or not. We walked around simpang lima, that was packed with the locals.. I didn’t know where to bring the chiobus, but simpang lima ‘A big roundabout, filled with pasar pagi crowds’. The locals were sitting around the walking pathway enjoying what I understood was nasi campur or pecels.. We were starving, but dare not try the hawkers food. Especially after the 8 ingredients Pak Pao Chi served with two unwanted ingredients during yesterday wedding reception. It was moon cake festival and everyone was getting married on that day, for hopefully a better luck and prosperity for the marriage life. The traffic was really bad. Reception halls were filled with weddings. That explained the lower standard food served during the reception.

After sending off the chiobus to Jogja, we went to a local food court for a real local smg food. Had an authentic grilled fish and great balacan chilly paste and a huge coconut drink. We didn’t have long time to say good bye. I arrived at the airport, just right before the boarding time. I gave her a long hug, knowing that I won’t see her for probably years ahead. A ‘mrs’ she was then, but she was still my baby fren :P. Luv ya nik..

.. In Jakarta, Chloe was screaming loud ‘I i…. ama dataang’. She was almost 3 years old with short hairs and chubby red chicks, she stepped down the stairs one by one running toward the front door. She stopped for while, putting her pointing finger on her lip she said..’hhehe ii..”. I know at that moment, that this was what I’ve been missing out while being away from home. Being greeted by the young innocent cheeky tiny being, who somehow look a tint similar to myself. Just be with them.. around my mom and dad as they were walking up and down was priceless moment. For a short-while, life was not all about work and myself. Her brother was crawling in the bed trying to reach me, but cried as I lifted him up. I probably have the OZ smell in me that he was not comfortable with. Maybe it was the cheese or it was the milk or the dried oz air.

My life has been the same for the past few years.. I dared not make any big changes, nor took any time off from work. I was overwhelmed by what I thought was the most important thing in my life, work and work. I was wrong of course. Hopefully I learn from all this.. as I keep writing my next chapters of life. More wedding and more exciting stuff are waiting ahead. So until then, as always… Do your best and God will do the rest :P