A Three Weeks Recollection



20 November 2001



I finally arrived in Soekarno-Hatta airport at 2.30 PM. I had to wait a while for my luggages but it all went fine. It was

a good trip and it feels nice to be back home. Jakarta was still hot and crowded. I reach Bogor by 4.30 PM, there was some

traffic-jam along the way. I was pretty suprise that a mall is going to be finish near the place I was living. Hmm...more

crowded traffic then, anyway home is home. I can see Salak and Gede mountain on my way home, my mother said it was due

to the extreme wind that been around for couple of days. The mountains view was very clear and beautiful. The city was also

become more greener, than it was home. The smell of the house, the garden, my room and my beloved dog, Rico.



Alia came 2 hours later, she just got back from her lecture. She stayed until 9 PM and had dinner with us. My dad eventually

help her and gave her a night class of accounting. My house lights was dead since 12 AM till nearly 9PM, somehow it was nice.



I manage to suprise some friends with my unexpected calls, it was great fun.



21 November 2001



Seems there was no rest for me, my things was still unpacked but then I went to Jakarta by bus. I met Sam at Slipi, then we

went to his place. We had a long talk and I went home around 8-9 PM, I was tired. Took a shower then off to bed.



My things was still unpacked and my room was a huge mess.



22 November 2001



Start unpacking my things and clean my room. I went to Gramedia, bought "Pengarang Sudah Mati" Sapardi DD and "Larung" Ayu

Utami. Spend the rest of the day reading and listening to the radio. I feel rather funny to turn on the radio in the corner

of my room again. I haven't done that for ages, I often listen MP3 with an earphone. Suddenly my room feels like a concert hall

when I play a song, maybe I'm being to sarcastic considering my tape was nearly 10 years old, it's not a snazzy stereo set or

anything like that.



24 November 2001



I went to Jakarta again to meet some friends, we went around and end up searching for books in Gramedia - Lippo Karawaci. More

to compare prices, geez it's getting more and more expensive now. I still end up buying "Matinya Seorang Penari Telanjang" SGA

and "Siau Ling" Remy Syaldo. Jakarta was hot but pour with rain in the afternoon, I was home by 8 PM. I slept on the bus and

nearly didn't jump off in the right spot.



25 November 2001



Had a lazy Sunday, brunch and lazily went to church. I nearly sleep over, I didn't really want to go. I do not consider myself

to be religious or have any religion right now. Though I had to go with my mother dragging me. Coincidencely met my abang, Ongky,

in front of the church. We went talking at the back of the seat while the mass was on. He haven't change one single bit.



27 November 2001



I had a lift from my folks to Jakarta. I went to ELSAM and meet Agung, then we went around Jakarta by bus. Agung accompany me

to Pasar Baroe, I was asking for his help to find a good camera. I wanted to learn fotography. Had lunch in Bakmi Gang Kelinci but

the camera shop was close. At first we were going to go to Blok M and re-check our eyes condition, but the clock was ticking. We

had to be in Kemang that afternoon. There was a "buka puasa bersama" in Aksara Bookstore, Kemang then it was continue with a

book discussion. A discussion comparing "Larung" Ayu Utami and "God of Small Things" Arundhati Roy. We arrived there around 5 PM,

the venue wasn't going to start until 6 PM. Me and Agung browse for books, a really nice bookstore with a pretty comprehensive literature

collections. It offers Indonesian and English books altogether. The price of the books aren't very nice though, please be mentally

prepare if you wanted to come here.



The architecture of the place was very sway too, minimalist and spacious. It was only one floor but it goes pretty long to

the back, at the second floor was a small cafe.



Alfred came around 6.30 PM, Agung introduce me to Hikmat and also Sihar. Alfred borrowed my copy of Arundhati and I bought "Djakarta!"

magazine latest edition. The book discussion went allright though it rather out of context. It finish at 9.30 PM, Agung accompany me

to UKI. I took the bus home and arrived at Bogor around 11 PM.



28 November 2001



I was feeling rather sick and had been coughing, maybe I need some rest. Sam came to my house and install this software for

a library catalog, he stay until five o'clock.



Around 6 PM, Shea called me and asked me to go out for a dinner. He just came home from work and he was gonna pick me up

around 8 PM. He live in Jakarta so yeah, it's kinda far. It turn out that he came around 8.30 PM. We went straight for dinner,

Pizza Hut was one of the nearest. I ate fettucini while he ate chicken wings and a personal pan supreme pizza. We ate and we

talked. It was 9.30, then it came up to me an idea and I suggest why don't we go to the cinema, it's still to early to go home.

The cinema wasn't that far, 9.35 PM and the movie had just started. We watched "Don't Say A Word", the cinema was getting cold

and I put on my white sweater. The movie was rather short, it finish around 10.40 PM and we look for an atm, he need to go there.



I kinda become his guide for the night as we drove around Bogor, I haven't seen the city at night for a long time. On the way home,

I didn't really wanted to go home that soon. I said jokingly to go to Puncak and eat "jagung bakar", and yes he took it seriously.

I was kinda kidnapped for the night but I had a great time. Arrive home at 2 AM, the next day I was getting sicker. Really, I'm

not that good to know my own condition, I often forgot or just don't care.



to be continue...