Monday, April 25, 2011

Twelve Days

Day 1 - How God worked on in my insanity
@ 07.00 - 11.00 : waiting for my passport status turned green, still no text message from TLS Contact
@ 11.15 - 14.30 : finally it turned green, checked out from office ASAP, took a bus to Sudirman (the traffic was really awful),
checked again my passport status and it said that mine had been sent to TLS and felt relief when the closing time is 4.30.
@ 14.45 - 17.45 : visa is at hand, rushed to purchase flight ticket in ITC Cempaka Mas, took ojek to my house
@ 18.00 - 23.30 : dressed up, took things I remember to bring, found a taxi, flight 20.30, left mom and bro without chitchatting, waiting for an hour at lobby, messaging friend I thought would be happy to be together but it turned out not. Dissapointed !

Day 2 - am I robbed?
@23.30 - 13.30 : since I was upset with the Indonesian guys, I intended to find my own place in KL. In the plane, a doctor named Erni invited me to rest at her house and I refused at first. Then we talked over that I felt comfortable with her. I changed my mind. Landed, I took my luggage, went to money changer for Ringgit and went by a taxi to her house (with my money?) And the place was so so long. The fact and the reality were a bit different. I was wondering, was I robbed?
Bandar Baru Bangi, Putrajaya

Day 3 - Paris, Je T'aime?
@6a.m - 16.50 Paris time : I went to KL airport again, this time I talked with the cab driver, not so difficult since our language is similar, got into line, waited with my blackberry trying to reach my friends in Jakarta and French but the connection failed, got into the plane, exhausted, I couldn't sleep nor eat and drink. That cute boy was a monster. I vomitted on board and I saw clock still a 6-hour long way to land. I couldn't stand it anymore, I wanted to go home, forgot about Paris, thought that I'd been already too old for the trip, blamed myself for the nonsense trip. Just then I heard the announcement that we were about to land, I couldn't help myself smiling all the way until arrival.
@16.50 - 20.30 : I met Cyril after long hour of making an appointment. Asking M. Salim and one tall guy who were willing to lend their phones. Cyril was very worry and couldn't stop blaming me. He asked whether the two guys at the airport who lent me their phones were my friends. He was surprised that they were just strangers. He told me about the danger of coming alone to Paris because of the human trafficking. He told me that I was lucky. And I kept telling him that lucky had nothing to do with my safety. It was the work of my Father in heaven who sent His 2 angels in a form of 2 nice strangers at the airport. Cyril is kinda smiley and kind guy. My life was hard and adventurous that night, eating Greek sandwich instead of €3 of 3 cakes for dessert. He had hi-tech items. He took me around Paris at night until 2 a.m to see Eiffel Tower, the famous street of Champs d'Ellyse, Triomphe d'Arc, Seinne River and a palace in front of Eiffel Tower. It was interesting to know that Cyril stopped his bike when the traffic light turned red, even though the street was empty. After that, we went to sleep.

Day 4 : Rendezvous, at last
@7.00 - 13.00 : I couldn't sleep the night before that I woke up as soon as Cyril woke up. I felt like a beggar, asking for help since I didn't know that Paris didn't have money changer near by. He bought me €10 train ticket to CDG. I'd seen enough that I didn't want to see it twice. Just spending time to contact Jakarta and trying to watch TV until 13.00 but failed. I was hungry and there the €3 dessert there, so nice, I finished all.
@ 13.00 - 15.00 : I found my way to CDG by the help of Cyril's handwriting note, that time I knew why my phone didn't work. I didn't have to owe Cyril anymore :) The station was empty but still the announcement radio was on. From Issy to St. Michel Notre Dame by RER C and change to RER B CDG but since I didn't know, I took the wrong train. Just 2 stations, I went out and got back to the right track. Inside and outside the train was awful. The window glass was dirty and full of scratch. It made me feel that I was on one place of Jakarta city :)
The rail was divided into two, and I was on the train to CDG I didn't have to change train. In terminal 1 CDG, I took elevator to go down to take train to the inside of terminal 1 CDG. An old man told me about it and asked me to go with him. No shame :( I showed my ring on my ring finger to give a thought to him that I was already engaged :P After that I was already in arrival area trying to get to gate 34. I waited for Franck at sortie 32. When I saw him, I felt home since he would take care of us and met my Indonesian friends, great.
@14.00 - 22.00 : saw the highway with bikes travelling on it, yellow flowers, unique designed toilets, @Chinese resto, and Franck's parents.

Day 5 : Eating Day
@10.00 - 14.00 : walked by at Angers Centre, to chinese store for buying noddles (my friends really missed Asian food), got anger from the store owner because we took pictures, walked back, had lunch at Franck's parents' house.
@14.00 - 16.00 : @Franck's nephew's baptism party. What they called a party was really different with what I had in Indonesia. They put long tables in a row, played music from a tape, decorated room with papers, snacks, beverages, chocolates and desserts. They also wore simple dress.
@20.00 - 24.00 : party @Cedric's place, ate with the pregnant woman n boyfriend, cedric and his girlfriend, the eating meal are with the same order. The conversation became a debate when they found out that Indonesia had a pornography bill in national law. They couldn't understand why such activity should be banned from television.

Day 6 : Good Friday
@10.00 - 14.00 : prayed for the good people @church, Morrisette handed me a little bunch of white flowers for travel protection, could it REALLY protect me?; went back to Franck's house and had a lunch together, I loved the shell--delicious then went to Angers castle.
@14.00 - 18.00 : in the Angers castle, saw the Apocalypse tapestry story, all people including children were quite, the story was really what the Bible said, and I prayed that God opened our mind to see that these stories are what really going to happen, went up to see the towers and garden above the building; after that, walked between the old structure of Angers houses up to Cathedral church, went in, it was magnificent, well-built and very solemn, every detail of the building worshipped the Lord. What about the people?
@19.00 : went to small island, near SAUMUR? I don't think the island had a name. Then crossed over by a moving bridge pulled by people on it, saw some men playing Petaque (see : French traditional games), when crossed back, a bule fooled and teased me, a handsome and crazy one :D
@21.00 : slept

Day 7 : City of castles - Tauriac
@11.00 : went out to Franc's parents' house to let them know we were about to go to Tauriac, where his sister and her copain live.
@22.00 : after driving 5 hours, stopped 2 times for responding the nature's call, admiring landscape on right and left side, stopped by for buying flowers for his sis and family, getting bored of the long journey and asking how long, there, we get the name ... SMURFIE :) sucks :) When we got closer to the house, the dog, I never be able to remember its name, ran to us and showed us the way :) yes, dogs are human's best friend, it's proved :) Sebastien was grilling, Karin was steeping down the stairs to welcome us...always 4 kisses on our cheeks.
@23.00 : getting to know Matilde, timid at first but turned out to be over energetic little girl, she won our hearts instantly, chitchatting on the table but language always be the great obstacle in our conversating to each other. The supper still followed the food order. They were nice and patient with us, played cool games (wow, in such a remote area, they had sophisticated technologies, when will Indonesia be in that condition?)
@13.00 : went out to bed, one more sophisticated tech in that room, a clock that speared a light showing time on the ceiling when the lights out...wow, again :)

Day 8 : Wonderful Architectures
@10.00 : eating 'simple' breakfast (sausages -- pork and pork, bread, butter, meat in can, orange juice, milk, tea, kuskus), Karin's friend was coming, playing outside with Matilde, biking, waiting to get ready to the red-brick mansion.
@13.00 : Herini and I rode Karin's car to get French conversation, she tried to explain in English if I didn't understand, stopped by nearest bank for exchanging my dollar. When we were at the red-brick mansion, we saw nice stores, church and there and I saw kulintang :) in such small place, they could arrange items and food in an interesting and neat order. Sadly to say, we have better items in Indo, well, except the wine, of course :)
@17.00 : back to the house, we shopped at super U for some chocolate and cheeses, Sebastien was there with the grill tools, ate dinner, there, we knew foie gra and it was delicious to eat it with fig jam and drank white wine after that :D
@20.00 : went to Rocamadour all troops, the journey up and cold, tried to take picture in the dark with golden Rocamadour so beautiful far away, men were closing stores, went low and stopped at the stone gate, stores on the right and left side, closed, magnificient and very old, great architecture, it was told once that the sinners were walking with their knees to come to the Lord.
@01.00 : went up again to reach the top of Rocamadour but it was too dark. And we were tired too, when back through the dark road.

Day 9 : Going Back
@09.00 : woke up, played bowling (again) with Matilde -- 4 strikes, fyi :D, me as the winner, ate petite dejeneur, went back to Angers, stopped by at Super U for vegetables and noodles.
@20.00 : arrived in Angers, Fera and Franc went out for dinner again but I refused to join because of woman's matter.

Day 10 : Shopping Time
@10.00 : went to traditional market, bought my nephew's toy, the strawberry was red and tempted, only open til 13.00
@13.00 : ate at restaurant only costed €24 for 6, there, Andre and Morrisette left us.
@15.00 : went to Angers city to exchange money, the procedure was so complicated, then, went to Angers mall for buying perfumes and watches.
@20.00 : went home earlier to cook escargot.

Day 11 : Last Day in Angers, Sad Moment
@10.00 : went to Franc's parents for last feast, Andre grilled pork and beef (this time he knew that we preferred it to be very very well-cooked), Morrisette arranged the tomato and eggs like flower, it was beautiful, said goodbye to them, a sad goodbye, went to Paris.
@18.00 : went to see Orly airport, then tried to find the nearest hotel (Paris had a hotel for poor people, and refused us staying there, well, we didn't know), ended up to Kenz hotel with price cheaper €1 than our predicted budget, went out to eat at Chinese resto, the waitress was so stern in her face.
@20.00 : went to bed, watched Hawaii Five - O dubbed in French, 30 percent understood. The sirene from police cars sounded over and over again. I thought there must be someone captured that night. I heard that Paris was full of crimes, too, since the government had a weak law on the immigrants.

Day 12 : Last Day
Happy Christ's Resurrection Day :) He made me sits on the window seat. How wonderful! I hope next to mine is a handsome, good, available French man :) or rather be alone :D No, He doesn't fulfill this one hehe. He prefers that I sit alone. With one girl at the other end.
Last night we looked for a cheap hotel near Orly and we got one Kenz Hotel, the rate is €39.5. Not bad and the bathroom is inside. It's really contrary with the hotel for poor people, yeah, there's hotel for poor people in Paris. We dined before going to bed. Frankly, I don't miss Paris, not because I hate it but it's just nothing left in my heart. I bought 2 more watches this morning, for sis and bro.
I want that EiFfel Tower bottle on her hand. Can I? No, not granted, but that's ok :D. Well, it's the end of my long journey. Who knows where I will be next time. Life is full of mystery.

3 comments:

  1. Quelle vacances!!
    ak yakin pengalaman yg kaudapat lebih dari yg kautulis..
    masih ingin menjelajah eropa?mari kita rencanakan baik2..(maksude ak ikut...hihi)

    ReplyDelete
  2. eh..eh...jd km ma cyril????maksude "but he didn't want to sleep on the floor" apa ya?
    trus nasibmu ma si dokter malaysia tu gmn?jd ketipu?km tidur di rumahnya?
    km ditinggal kerja di rumah orang yg baru kenal?km jd pembantu gitu ya?hehehe
    duh,knpa ditulis pake inggris si..ak mudeng 50% doang nih...

    ReplyDelete
  3. marilah kita rencanakan dan doakan perjalanan kita nanti ke Perancis :D Maksudnya 'he didn't want to sleep on the floor' tuh ya makna sesungguhnya :D si dokter Malaysia itu memakai uang ringgitku untuk taksi PP kami, huh :D ditulis dalam bahasa Inggris utk hemat halaman aja, banyak yang mau diceritakan tapi tidak mau kelihatan panjang sekali...

    ReplyDelete

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