2011 AFTERGLOW -- A SERIES OF BLESS FROM GOD

Yogyakarta, December 30 2011...the second last day of 2011.

5.30 in the morning and i was awaken by the cold...maybe it's because last night it rain so hard that it seems to cool down the hotness of Yogyakarta today...

I tried to sneak in myself into my blanket and close my eyes again, but i just lost my appetite to go back to sleep  after trying to rest my eyes again for 30 minutes.

Somehow, i just realize that in less than 50 hours, this will not be 2011 anymore. In less than 50 hours, it will be 2012. I was amazed at how time flies so quickly...

2011 is rather a special year for me. Though each year of my life is a precious one (in its own way) but 2011 is a different one. I found my maturity in 2011. I finally found myself and see myself as a grown up. As a woman, a human being, a soul that stays in a body given by GOD. I'm suddenly not a little girl anymore, nor the youngest child in my family. I'm just me.

I actually planned on continuing my study at UGM on early 2011. It was part of resolution that i want to get my master  degree title before i'm turning 25. All was ready but people may plan, GOD is still the one who decide your destiny. Things happened in early 2011. Bad ones...  It's like a rendezvous of what happened almost 12 years ago to my family when i was still a teenager. But me in 2011 is not me in the 90s. It's a different me.

Looking at my parents, i chose to postpone my plan of moving to Yogyakarta. I said to myself, "It's not the end, didi...you're just delaying what you can have now and for that GOD will double what you should have now". I tried to stay strong because i have to and i don't have the option to be weak for the sake of my parents..

It's funny though, because as i try to be strong, i've come to realize that how fragile my parents truly are. All my life, i was entitled with the thought that "They are parents so they ought to be strong. For their kids, for what they have decided to built together". But on 2011, i realize how misleading this thought can be.

Things were psychologically and physically hard for my parents. But my family made through of it pretty well. After all, we went through something worse once. For me, it's a phase of learning to see my parents not from a perspective as their children.

By mid of 2011, i have decided that i can no longer postpone my plan of moving to Yogyakarta. I wasn't accepted yet by UGM nor do i have attend the entrance test. However, i have the faith that UGM will accepted me and i have no worries for that. So, i tried to wrap things up from March. I said to the NGO where i work for the past 3 years, that the 2011 badge will be the last badge i teach and I said to my other boss that I'm quitting on May. Everyone was shocked and sad. They don't want me to leave but they understand that this is an important decision for me.

My boss, David and Brenda, who then happen to be my second parents said that they don't want to let me go but they know and realize how hard i tried to make the decision of moving to Yogyakarta. They know what i've been going through lately, so they know that it's important for me to take this step in order to find myself. And for that I thank them with all my heart.

The NGO also sad that i'm leaving, but they know a soul cannot be attached. A soul are meant to be free with no attachment. So one of the founder, Brother Wayan, said to me "Go, and our doors are always open whenever you want to come back."

I don't know if there is any word that can describe my gratitude to their unconditional love to me. I was amazed at how they accept me for who i am while i'm still struggling to find who i am. I was amazed at how they trust me while i'm still having difficulties of trusting my self. On top of everything, i was overwhelmed at how they believe that i'm strong while i'm still having hard time believing that i am strong.

So, i started my journey to Yogyakarta with that humble contented feeling. I know that no matter what the result is, whether i'm accepted or not by UGM, it doesn't matter because I know, those people will accept me for whoever I am.

June and July 2011 are the most relaxing month for me. Since i'm jobless, i spent my time doing part time job, catching up with my besties, playing around with my nephew and niece, spending some quality time with my mother, having a daughter father conversation with my dad and learning to actually live for "now" without worrying what will happened in the next five or ten or fifteen minutes or next few hours or next few days or next few months.

I went back and forth to Yogyakarta several time on my own until i finally accepted by UGM. Yes, i passed the entrance exam. And yes, now i am a post graduate student of international relations at UGM. But then that's it. There's nothing special about it. What special is how i got here, how i got there, to that point of accepted by UGM.

August was even a busier month. I was trying to pull everything together for my movement to Yogyakarta. I did all by myself. My mother still nagged me a bit. She used to think that i'm lack of the ability to live by myself or to take care of myself. But I think she had a take one big step of letting me to grow up as a woman this time.

My father is always a liberal person in my eyes. Then i know that he's actually a conservative one. Well... a father is always a father especially when he is faced with the fact that his only daughter are moving to Yogyakarta. On my side, i know he feels like he owes me a lot. I know that he feels like he has this debt that he needs to pay me. I know that he's trying to pay back all the lost time he misses when i was still a teenager. I told him "It's okay dad...everything will just be fine. If it's not you'll be the first one to know"


So, i move to Yogyakarta on end of August and start my adventure here. Almost 6 months, I enjoy every seconds, minutes, hours, weeks, months of it. I have shared on my other writings of how amazing the people i met in Yogyakarta. I think by now, i am running out of words to describe how amazing they are.

I always believe in destiny and the reason lies behind it. I believe that there is a reason why i meet each of these new people in my life here in Yogyakarta. I believe that each person will give their own color to my life and i thank them for that. :)

I believe that what ever GOD brings to my life, bad or good, are all a bless from Him. I believe it is GOD's way to lead me to find myself in Him and for that I thank him :)

I still do not know if i want to make list of resolutions for 2012. I may not make one. Simply because i want to feel how's life without target or burden. I'll just let myself decide on that very moment what to achieve and what to accomplish. Beside, ain't it the fun art of life? You never can predict what lies in your future or what future offers you...so let's just enjoy your time with that hot boiling youthful blood.


With Love
Dee

CLASS TRIP PART I - DEPOK BEACH!!!! Slide B - The Picturial

Orang bilang...photo, gambar dan lukisan menyimpan makna lebih dalam dari kata-kata dan mampu bercerita lebih dari yang kata-kata bisa lakukan...

Mungkin halaman ini bisa menyampaikan apa yang 'orang bilang' tersebut...

Ketika menyusun lay out dari halaman ini, ada satu lagu yang terus berkumandang sebagai backsound dan inspirasi saya... lagu itu adalah Ipank "Sahabat Kecil"... rasanya tak salah kalau saya menyarankan teman-teman untuk mendengarkan lagu itu juga ketika sedang mencoba memahami 'cerita' di halaman ini...

Bagi yang sedang terinspirasi secara romantis ada lagu kedua yang ingin saya rekomendasikan... 'Built To Last' by Melee. Sekilas lagu itu seperti lagu orang yang sedang jatuh cinta... bagi saya, lagu itu adalah lagu jatuh cinta saya terhadap bumi, ibu pertiwi dan langit pantai Depok yang sore itu merona-rona layaknya orang yang sedang pengakuan cinta... Sore itu jadi seperti semacam pengakuan cinta Tuhan kepada saya dengan memberikan kesempatan kepada saya untuk menjadi bagian sore yang indah itu bersama teman-teman baru yang dipertemukan melalui UGM...

Tanpa perlu kata-kata lagi...nikmatilah cerita sore hari di Pantai Depok, 6 Desember 2011...

When i see this picture...there is a song come across my mind: "The Boys" by SNSD --> yuck!! xD

Dari kiri ke kanan : 'Ayah' Havids, 'Si gagu' Chris, 'Tikus' Bintang, 'Master Splinter super Lebay' Mas Jamal, 'Caleb' Patria, 'Edward Kulonprogo' Abdulloh, 'Sharukh kaaaan' Arif, 'Baakkkaaarrr' Rio, dan our one only 'Om' Hangga...*kalem*

Flying!!!! yay!!!!!

Abdulloh: "Yihaaaaaaaaaaaaa!! Bintang here i comeeee!!!!!"

Me: Itu lele!!

Patria & Winda: *dengan wajah kaget* Lele???Dilaut?? ehmmm...

Abdulloh: *ambil ikan* fo-to-sa-ya-de-ngan-i-kan-i-ni...

Err...i'm not sure with either the concept or the theme of this particular photo... Kanibalism of Abdulloh? or what? eh... f^,^

Leader of ASEAN??????? errrr....doubtful... hahaha

Dimas Depok Beach --> sok cool deh kamyu... ;P

Ehem...ehem...ehem...cakep deh arif.... besok langsung dapet istri idaman... ;D

Pada norak deh fotoan ama motor kayak gitu aja... *padahal mupeng juga* 

Abdulloh: dadaaaaaa didiiiii... *melambai-lambaikan tangan ala Miss Thailand* LOL

para nelayan kita... :)

Selamaaaaattttttttt Makaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!!!!!! :D

 Ehem...ehem...jadi sama Patria toh Mbak yu Tanti ini... haha

Loh...ini trus apa??? kok sama Hangga??? Wah Tanti...janganlah kau merusak cerita cinta Hangga dan Patria... wkwkwkwkwk

Waaahhh... apa pula ini?? Jadi yang mana sih yang bener ini? Tanti dan Bang Toyib? Oh no...Oh no...*lebay*

Sudah mas Jamal...tidak usah capek-capek merenung...cukup kendarai motormu itu untuk pulang kerumah anak istrimu...supaya kau tidak dipanggil Bang Toyib terus...hahahaha :D

PENUTUP

Dan untuk meringkas serta membungkus petualangan kita di pantai Depok, inilah foto-foto pilihan yang kurang lebih mewakili suasana sore penuh berkat dan berkah serta rahmat dari-Nya (mengutip kata-kata Mas Jamal) hehe...

Dan...

itu kita... :)


WITH LOVE
DEE

CLASS TRIP PART I - DEPOK BEACH!!!! Slide A

December 6, 2011 --> our very first class trip to Depok beach. Thank's to the transportation provided by Patria and Hangga, half of the class member were able to have a comfortable trip to Depok in a very cozy air conditioned cars, except for Tanti and Mas Jamal... :D

I can't remember what time we arrived at Depok beach... i think it's around 3 or 4pm... almost 4pm i guess, because the first thing we did when we got there was looking for a mosque so the muslims can do their afternoon pray.

There were only 12 of us (half of the class), 3 are non muslims (Me, Bintang and Chris)

The one who wears the sunglass is Bintang. The one with that afro hair, sitting on the ground is Chris.

Special thanks to Mas Jamal for the subsidy he gave to buy some seafood and also luckily Hangga brought a surprise. He and I got extra money after dedicating ourselves for a one heck seminar. We choose to use that extra money to add on the subsidy from Mas Jamal. It's actually more like we don't feel good about enjoying "that" money who came from Mr. You Know Who... (Remember that moment we spent with "Him" twice a week every Tuesday and Thursday?????)

So, off we go to the fish market and grab our seafoods!!!  Slyly... the guys just ran and left the buying stuff to the girls. Patria only said "I want some squid" and then he's like vanished...

So, Winda chose to buy 2 kilograms of clam which everyone thought as crazy but at the end of the day it was the most favorite dishes everyone chose... typical...haha... I chose to buy 1 kilo of fish, 1 kilo of squid, and then 1/2 kilo of small prawns, simply because it's the most expensive seafood. Total cost for the seafood was 100.000... not bad for that much seafoods,,,

Patria picked the restaurant that's right facing the beach. After deciding how do we want the seafood to be cooked, we started our little adventure at the beach. Yihaaaaa it's having fun time!!! xD

 

This is our one only Thailand friend : Abdulloh. Hangga called him the Edward Kulonprogo... (so much for Bella)... He's cute in this photo, but please pay attention to the guy standing behind him and what is his hand doing... (FYI, it's Patria wkwkwkwk)

 

Now, this is what i call with CONFIDENT. Bintang is showing off his sexy black long leg which i did not realize back then until i pay attention to each photos we took that day. :D way to go bro!!! black is masculine!! haha

One of the most memorable moment started here. It's the Story of Patria, Handphone and the Flip-flop...So, down there in the picture is the starting point of the story. Patria was busy with his handphone while walking along the beach....

Suddenly, a big heavy wave came and hit him,,, hardly,,,who was still busy with his handphone (blackberry,,,yes,,,it is...). The wave took his flip flop away...and he ran towards the wave, trying to catch the flip flop, almost fell into the water, half wet, yet lost another flip flop after catching the first lost one and ended up getting both easily after the wave came back towards him again...

  

Too bad i was too astonished and overwhelmed by how it happened.It's just super hilarious. PERIOD. xD so i didn't catch the moment in a photo... haha

Now this one is the second funniest moment caught in a photo... Rio and Bintang were trying to get a nice and cool photo of themselves. I was just goofying around and found this dead crab. I pick it up, threw it to Rio and it landed right on his head... LOL!!! 

Arif started the game of catching the petite crab and putting the catch into this plastic glass. That's like the first time i saw Arif being playful... :)

Need more explanation? here we go...bunch of boys found a new toy and they were eager to try it. That big motor (which i do not know what to call was rented by Chris). Pretty cool, right?

Nemo?Baloon fish? You name it...

 

People say... a photograph worth thousand  unexplainable words... this is the perfect example of it... the ambiance, the sky, the boat, the beach, and THE HUGGING... so sweet... :)

May what Depok Beach has brought to your relationship will last forever, Patria and Hangga...

LOL!!!

Now, let's talk more about Depok Beach... It's not the best beach, indeed. The surrounding was rather dirty that day. It's no different with Lebih Beach in Bali so i don't know which one i like better.

However, one thing for sure that day is special thanks to the people i spent the day with. These people in the picture below (including Winda who stayed at the restaurant looking after our bags) are the reason why that day become so special and meaningful. And it's not just me. God seems to have the same thought with me that day. The sky was extremely beautiful... and I can't thank God enough for that very happy moment.

These beautiful soul were born to grow to be a free soul as free as the air we breath, to be beautiful as beautiful as the sky that very afternoon.

I thank to each of you...to the 12 people who share that beautiful afternoon with me and to the other classmates who didn't have the chance to join us that day... Thank you... =D