The Blue Oasis

We took the metro to Spagna because we agreed to meet Gustavo and Silvia there. Our plan was to search the Grand Mosque of Rome. The idea of going to the mosque was never in my mind until Silvia asked me, “Eka, have you ever see the Grand Mosque of Rome?” I said, “no, I haven’t” and she said “Let’s go there because I’ve always wanted to see it”. I was stunned by her words. How come I never had this in my mind?

I couldn’t be happier than this and I really thanked Silvia for reminding me.

Tourists’ flock

So, we were finally there at Piazza Spagna with other hundred tourists. The roman sun stroke our back with extreme heat while we were sitting at the stairs waiting for the crazy couple to come. Time passing and they were not yet there. So, we decided to go around the piazza and we found this tea house with full of expensive teas inside. It was quite fun to go inside since there were many tea packed in Victorian style, making them so elegantly British.

Okay, two years after waiting, Gustavo and Silvia finally came. We took the metro to Piazza del Popolo in which we made our stop in Flaminio and continued our trip with local train to Acqua Acetose. Arriving at this  stop I found myself reading an important notification: A Strike!

A strike or they called it “Sciopero” in Italian language means a mass strike for the transportation. It means they won’t operate for some hours. Uh-oh! This is what I’ve been warned of. Before departing my friend warned me, “be careful because anything can happen in Rome including a sudden notification of strike”.

Fine, since I got the warning before so, I wasn’t that surprised. However, it wasn’t this that I’m afraid of. I’m worried more of can’t catch my bus since there was strike on Friday, 19 April in all Rome. This was my reason of why I finally decided to take early bus home.

Let’s put the strike a bit away from Acqua Acetose since we finally arrived there. Our next task was to find the grand mosque which has been dubbed as the largest mosque in Europe. Thanks to Silvia’s GPS we found the mosque which located at Viale della Moschea.

The Grand Mosque of Rome, our blue oasis

We greeted the gatekeeper and explain him about our purpose of visit. He explained the rule and since Silvia wearing short, she should put cover. So, I put my praying tunic on her and she was beautiful with those praying tunics, even Gustavo told her not to put it off, lol.

We entered the mosque and felt soooo refreshed after taking wudhu’. The heat of the sun while walking from the station went away by the fresh water. Inside the mosque was extremely fresh, and cool. It was really like we had found an oasis in the middle of a desert.

Inside the grand mosque

Inside, meters of blue carpet with yellow flower pattern greeted us, making the ambience cooler. It reminded me of our grand mosque Istiqlal which is the largest in Southeast Asia, a clam and cool place to spend the day. Me and my friend, we directly did Tahiyatul Masjid, a type of praying which is performed when we enter a mosque for the first time. It was made to greet or honor the mosque and be nearer to Allah Azza wa Jalla.

Not long after, Mr. Samir, the caretaker of the mosque came. We explain of our visit and he started to explain many things about the history of the mosque. It was interesting in listening his story about how the mosque could stand still until now and that actually, the mosque is a bit abandoned these days. For me, it was a bit sad to see that only few people who came there to pray.

While Gustavo and Mr. Samir had a long discussion about Islam, we went around the mosque to take pictures. I really thanked Allah for given me the chance to visit and see inside one of His house. Before arriving inside, we were a bit disappointed to see the main entrance was closed. Henny said that it only opened during the Friday Praying but I remember one of my friend said that he never see any mosque closed anywhere he go. So, I said inside my heart, please God, let us visit You.

Inside the grand mosque and Silvia in her praying tunic

Okay, we finished taking our break and were ready to go back to the bustling city. The main purpose, done!

Chasing Simone

Howdy, Colosseo!

Don’t ask who but I’m glad that I went to his city this week. The plan of spending two days in Rome was set last month when my friend finally bought a one-way ticket home. I said to her, “I’ll accompany you to your departure gate” . So, I booked myself a bus ticket last week to Rome.

Three times of visiting this city and I’m loving it more and more. This time, my visit was a bit special because I was accompanied by special people. At first, it  was only me and my best friend. Then our group was completed by two of my classmates from the university, Gustavo and Silvia (remember my Cosenza night tour?). And so, we started our vacation (let’s call it a blink-of-an-eye vacation since it was only 35 hours in total).

We took the night bus from Rende and spent 6 hours to reach the city of love (I think “Roma” is the anagram of “Amor” hihi). We went straight to the ground level to deposit our stuff (my backpack, and a 20 kg-luggage of my friend). This was the only convenient way to enjoy Rome: without heavy stuff.

Just for info, if you want to deposit your luggage, The Termini Station provide you with the deposit point service. It is located at the underground floor after platform 23 and 24. You can use the elevator to go down one level. It cost 5 euro for the first 5 hours. If you’re exceeding the limit of this hour they will charge you for 0.70 cent per each hour. The luggage’s weight is limited up to 20 kg each. Is it safe? Yes! because you are given a ticket to take out your belonging and you pay it after. This was my second time of using Termini Luggage Deposit Point. So far, it’s safe enough.

Luggage’s stuff done. It’s time to grab some breakfast.

No need time to find bar to have some coffee in Rome. We went across the station and relaxed ourselves with a cup of cappuccino for me and a cup of macchiato for my sweet little friend. I called Silvia and agreed to meet them at Spagna. She told me to take coffee “con calma” which is another way to say “just take your time and enjoy”. Okay, then, we decided to set “con calma” as our theme this time.

The best part of travelling (at least for me) is when you’re travelling in calm, not in a rush. Just like what we had since we were enjoying every minute that passed before our eyes. Tourists crossing the street, filling the city tour bus, immigrants were busy persuading tourist to take the bus by offering the city tour flyer, it’s a real holiday! A view that I’ve missed since a long time ago. I took a deep breath and stunned myself. Yes, I really need vacation after all these times of closing myself for staying just around home and campus.

Well, at least I’ve been to Rome before. For me, Rome is like home. So, we relaxed our shoulder from the heavy backpack by sitting outside the cafe, chattering, sipping the coffee, and sharing Pain-au-Chocolait meanwhile across the street, the bustling life of Termini Station enliven the heart of Rome.

Rome is my great escapades this time and I always love this city but the best is not yet to come. Our stomachs were full, the energy meter had reached its optimal level, now it’s time to meet our crazy couple while I was still thinking whether Simone would pass me by the sidewalk or at the crossing line, hmm…

Coming Home

It’s a four letter word

A place you go to heal your hurt

It’s an alter, it’s a shelter

One place you’re always welcome

                       – Gwyneth Paltrow, “Coming Home”

They say home is where the heart is. This is cliché but you can’t deny that it’s true.

Call me lucky since I found myself a home when I’m exactly thousand miles away from home. This year, the last year of my study in Italy and somehow it brought me so many surprises. One of the surprises is coming to an Italian family and being part of them. Things I never imagined before in my life. Eating home-made pasta, helping in preparing the dinner, sitting together sipping coffee while watching soccer match, it’s simple but meaningful.

They say happiness is hard to find. Some people are dying to search happiness. They say happiness is not existed. But for me, happiness is simple. Just by being with people who are sincerely want you as part of them, who don’t take you as granted and knowing that they’re missing you when you’re away, these simple little things are medicine to cure any broken hearts. I’m no doctor but at least I’ve tried and it works. Being “home” is a cure for me.

Well they say its where the heart is
and I guess the hardest part is
when your heart is broken
and you’re lost out in the great wide open
looking for a map
finding your way back
to where you belong
well that’s where I belong
Home…

Dora and Daru: The Consolation Prizes

“This has been always with me for all the years, but I want you to have it”

“Don’t worry Daruma, you got me here. We’ll take good care of her, this year”

These words were said by a good friend of mine as she handed me over a blue plastic doll (actually, it’s a keychain) of the legendary Doraemon on a  gloomy afternoon, yesterday as  I opened my room’s door. A consolation prize. I never thought I would be this close and love her this much and that I will burst into tears (again) when she  flies back home to our country in near time.

“This is a classic one, look! He still has ears!”, she said cheerfully.

She told me of the history of this Doraemon’s doll. It was always with her, even when she decided to come to Italy to study in 2009, she forgot to bring it and her mum called and said, “You forgot something precious: your Doraemon doll” and her mum packed it and sent it all the way to Italy, crossing the pacific for her (well, so did my Daruma since I have always brought him everywhere I go).

And now… she gave it to me. Her precious thing.

Listening to this story, I can’t say how grateful I am to have friend like her. One of many best friends I have (Alhamdulillah). One of many people I’ve shared my tears and troubled feelings without being judged with.

I can’t say a word, how her precious thing is now mine, and yes it is my precious thing now. A doll is just a doll. But, trust me when it comes from a sincere heart, even a dirty soil replaces thousand kilos of gold. Well, at least for me. Because I know that to give your precious belonging sincerely is not easy. So, people who can do that, they are the greatest.

Doraemon is joining Daruma now. Daruma (I wrote a post about it here) was given by a best friend from Japan. It’s a good luck symbol and has deep meaning as far as I know because this doll was designed to be always able to stand up no matter how many times it falls out, even from the highest place. A symbol of never giving up.

Dora and Daru, now they will be good companies for me through my last year in Italy.

Thank you besties for the consolation prizes.

A Story About Japan and Me

A postcard I bought in Fukushima Aquamarine, the last place I visited in Japan before going home. During the 2011’s tsunami, it was damaged the most because located near the center of the earthquake.

Two years ago, March 11, 2011. These words were the first thing I saw when I open my eyes. They were written on my dearest friend’s status who is living in Tokyo.  Yes, two years ago, I was at my desk in my office, I was just about to start writing my article when I received a message from my sister which said that there’s a tsunami in Japan. It hit almost the east coast of Japan and it broke my heart especially when I found out later that the northern part of Japan suffered the damage the most.

I’m not a Japanese but I have strong emotional bond with this country. I’ve been always dreaming about Japan since I was a kid. Reading all those mangas and spending hours of watching the anime (Japanese cartoon movie) and even learning the language, I’m totally in love with Japan and its culture. Even a friend joked that maybe I’m a Japanese but from Okinawa (since I’m dark lol).

Japan especially, north Japan, has always been a special place for me. Three weeks spent there was my own magical mystery tour. Three weeks, blending with the community, meeting the community in person was a life-worth experience that I never want to trade with anything.

For me, it’s not merely a travel. It’s not just about visiting places, cities, but it was about meeting new people, finding friends, learning to face the hardest facts of life, in the end it’s about building a strong bond with the whole country and community.

Japan has its people, the strongest. I saw it and they really surprise me during the disaster when they recovered so fast. No complains, no riots, all are in order. Everybody hand in hand each other to console one another. Everyone, hand in hand building the country once again. They were like showing the world “what past has past, we got tomorrow to build on”.

The mentality which is always surprises me.

Two years ago, the Japanese were put in a great test. A lesson that says, when God reacts nothing can avoid, nothing can stop, proofing how small we, humans, are.

Through the process, the Japanese pass the test in excellent.

Today, Japan is stronger than ever. Here I attached a video message from my favorite Japanese vocal group, Arashi about how thankful the Japanese are for those who had supported them.

Eventhough, now I’m at the other part of the world but Japan still has a strong bond with me.

日本、よくがんばった！

 

Ps. It is read, “Nihon, yoku ganbatta!” which means “Japan, you did it well!”

The Hedgehog Dilemma

“If human are created with spines on all over their body, will they still hug each other?”

A little hedgehog which I found during the spring, last year.

This question struck my brain when I woke up this morning. Human are social beings. This idea has been perched in my brain since I refused my class teacher’s suggestion of that I can be at science class and decided to study in social class.

For most people, social science might not as difficult as physics, or chemistry, or maths, or how to create complex script for a computer program, or other scientific subjects. Yes, we don’t have to describe or study atom, molecule, or calculate everything or other complexity in the universe. However, social science students study the most complex thing in the whole universe: human.

Yes, human and all of their complex behavior.

And lately, I’m not more interested in one thing than human intimacy. My thoughts were elaborating during a conversation with a friend yesterday about how we relate ourselves with other people. In any social relation between people, there’s no zero possibility that one of the party won’t get hurt. As Schopenhauer said,

“Almost all of our sorrows spring out of our relations with other people.”

– Arthur Schopenhauer (1788 – 1860)

One of Schopenhauer’s descriptions about human intimacy is the Hedgehog Dilemma. A nostalgic term to remember for me, as a good friend brought me to this term for the first time in a discussion about human relationship, many years ago.

Hedgehog dilemma or also known as Porcupine dilemma is an analogy about a challenges in human intimacy. The term describes of how a group of hedgehog seek to stay close to each other to share the warmth during the winter. Despite their biological need to stay close each other, the hedgehog must face the reality that they need to stay away since they can’t avoid to hurt each other because of the sharp spines in their body.

Staying close to share the heat but must be parted because they can’t avoid in hurting each other with spines.

To my thought, all of us (human) have invisible spines in all over our body. Words, how we react to several condition sometimes becomes spines towards other. In a social relationship, a reciprocal feeling of satisfaction, unfortunately, glued to other feeling of dissatisfaction or disappointment which is, just like its twin, also reciprocal.

Just like the hedgehogs who are all seeking for the warmth so that they won’t die freezing, we (human) need each other as we are social being. We need the presence of other. However, disappointments, dissatisfactions of a situation or condition give no option for some people to isolate themselves from the society.

The fear of getting hurt or to hurt other with the invisible spines left them no options but to stay away. But, still they can’t reject the need of being connected to others. This is how we are.

However, we can never control what others might do for us. The only thing we can do is that to control ourselves, to control how we react towards other spines that (might) are stabbing us.

To not hurt is impossible no matter how we try. Indeed, sometimes, the more we try not to hurt other, the more we hurt others. The same thing goes with to be not hurt. The more we avoid the society, the more we avoid the whole humanities, the more we got hurt from the sense of isolation (sooner or later).

See, I told you. Human are much more complex than the universe itself. So, what to do?

To my opinion, this is sound cliché but, just embrace the fear. Life won’t feel like living without problems and challenges. The world consists of two sides, bright and dark. The earth has the night and the day. They take in turn every day. Every life has their ups and downs.

As Freud said,

“Illusions commend themselves to us because they save us pain and allow us to enjoy pleasure instead. We must therefore accept it without complaint when they sometimes collide with a bit of reality against which they are dashed to pieces.”

– Sigmund Freud (1856 – 1939)

Good morning readers! Have a blissful Wednesday!

Catching Up the Night Tour

Cosenza at night from above

Having a night tour around Cosenza is a rare activity for me. It’s not only because it’s winter where most people prefer to stay at home but also because I’m a student who live on a student housing and an dependant of university scholarship which means I don’t have ‘extra’ money to buy car. However, I am quite fortunate to have lots of good friends who kindly offer me a ride around the city, especially at night.

Tonight, I was fortunate (like always, alhamdulillah) to have friends like Gustavo and Silvia who willing to accompany us (me and my evil twin) for photo hunting around the city. The kindhearted Gustavo drove us to the top of the hilly Cosenza. For me, it’s precious time to snap Cosenza during the night and I can tell you, it is beautiful during the night.

Our night tour began at 7.30 PM when Gustavo and Silvia picked us from the university. During our way up, Gustavo, a native of Cosenza, fluently explain about a little history of the city (remember how I said that locals are the best tour guide ever?). He started his short ‘course’ of (what I called) “Storia della Città di Cosenza (The History of Cosenza)” by explaining about how the city was colonized by many nation in the past for example the greek, the norman, the byzantium, and the aragonese or the spanish. His explanation described how Cosenza was quite a metropolis in the past and how I realized that this history is part of the city and it build the face of the city now.

Eating at “The Witch”

Our first stop was the pizzeria up in the hill called La Strega (The Witch) which is adjacent to L’acquedotto Merone, an old aquaduct. We grab a pizza there and a menu called Stregotti which is a specialty of the restaurant. It is made from a pizza dough and stuffed with many things which we can choose. Since Gustavo know that I don’t eat pork, so he ordered the vegetable Stregotti (stuffed with mozzarella, tomato, olive and ruccola). It was so soft and tasty. Gustavo give me a piece of his napolitans pizza with alici, a small fish. This one is taste good too.

Stregotti

However, there’s an interesting fact that I discovered when we were busy deciding the menu. When I said I’d like to have margheritta (an ordinary pizza with mozzarella and tomato sauce), Gustavo immediately said to the waiter “two margheritta”. Knowing that it means one pizza for each of us, I quickly explain that it’s better to order just one, because the pizza is quite big and we don’t eat that much. Gustavo started to give me that ‘they-are-weird’ look to us.

Gustavo looked a little bit confuse for this since  Italians usually order one type of pizza for him/her self. Here’s the challenge of how we were trying to convince him that usually we didn’t eat the whole round of pizza all by ourselves. In Indonesia, when we went to a pizza restaurant, we usually order one type of pizza and share it with three or four friends. Gustavo was surprised with this fact and said “Are you sure?”

Yes, sure!

The Old City Night Tour

After grabbing the pizza, our journey continued to the old town, where I have been here many times but not in the night. The Rendano Theater building and the government office look different, and last night it was quite merry (the parking lot) and I heard from Silvia that Giovanni Allevi was having his concert there. He’s a famous young Italian pianist, from what I know.We took a short stroll to the ruin of the church which quite gave me goosebumps.  Our next stop was the castle on top of the hill where we can see the whole city of Cosenza. To be honest, I hate ruins in the night, but again, old Cosenza gave a new point of view during the night.

The tour continued where Gustavo explain about two rivers that meet downtown Cosenza. They are Crati and Busento. Legend said that in the past there was a wealthy king who was buried somewhere near the river with his treasure. No one ever found his treasure but the legend still alive until now.

Our next stop was the Crati river bank where we can see the dome of one of old and famous church, Church of San Domenico. The dome of the church reminds me of St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican and this is also the reason of why this church becomes a famous landmark in Cosenza.

Then, we came to the end of the night tour. Let’s have a quick recap: it started with a soft stregotti, filled with laughter, a tooth-crackling photo hunting session, and closed by a cup of nice warm cappuccino in a café in down town Rende.

Thanks to Gustavo and Silvia for the free ride, and to my crazy evil twin for the companion. Good night everyone and have a great Sunday!

As We Go On…

I keep thinking times will never change
Keep on thinking things will always be the same
But when we leave this year we won’t be coming back
No more hanging out cause we’re on a different track 

– Vitamin C. “Graduation“

Have you ever wish that time will stop and seize the moment (good moment, I believe) we are having? For me, I wish that time would stop so I can seize the moment I’m sharing right now with the people that dear to me, especially when the time to part is near.

Since graduated from elementary school, I started realized that there’s always a ‘Hello’ and ‘Goodbye’ in every occasion. But, at that moment, I wasn’t worry because I was thinking that I could meet my friends because we lived in the same city. Then, I realized when I graduated from junior high school and I must left the city where I lived and moved to other city, I said “good bye” to my junior high friends. Then, the same thing repeated when I graduated from senior high and moved back to Jakarta to start the university year. Again, I said good bye to my friends when they sent me off at the train station (I still remember those time when they surprised me from behind which I never that it would happened because I thought they were all busy). After 11 years circling around Jakarta, I, again said goodbye. This time to the whole country, for I was going to the other part of the world which was thousands miles away.

Now, after 1,5 year in Italy, I realize those ‘goodbye’ moments are coming soon. It was starting with the graduation of two of my countrymen, this month. They had finally defended their thesis successfully. Finally, as I saw how they really struggle to live, how they made it through the hardship and survived until the end and I am truly happy for them for they’re the strongest people I’ve ever know.

My big family

Being far away from home, far away from your family, it is hard. But, here, we found a family. Those who are also struggle to get through the hardship, those who support us ‘till the end. These people are the gems in my life.

So, I just want to congratulate both of my brother and sister, Harry and Henny, who made me believe that impossible is nothing until it’s done. You guys, rocks!

They are saying goodbye to Italy in near time. Sad, I am. Then, I realize that (again) my time is near too and it made me to remember that all things in this world are temporary. ‘Hello’ and ‘Goodbye’(s) will always occurred anywhere we go. All we gotta do is just keep moving forward. Future is a mystery. For me, it’s like a world map inside the online game, Age of Empire, where you can’t see your surrounding until you set your foot on it. That’s how the future is. Surrounded by darkness until we set our feet on it then we begin to see the light and everything becomes clearer. However, what most important is that never be afraid of setting our feet and remember that a future starts with one single step. All you need is guts ‘cos the world is round and life must goes on no matter how hard the time is.

To Harry and Henny, many good lucks for the next steps and remember that you guys are the brave hearts! and to me, you are the true Jedi knights!

Congratulation!

A Visit from the Napolitans

They said the best pizza came from Napoli, and after one and a half year living from a place not far away from this city, which is only 3 hour (by regional train) or 1 hour (by the pricey eurostar), I never made my time to taste it. But, I got a little glimpse of Napoli as two Napolitans came to pay me a visit last week.

Salam from the Napolitan in Cosenza

Aimen, the Tunisian, and Emma, the true Napolitan or I should say la Scafatesa because she’s originally from Scafati, a city between Napoli and Salerno. Aimen, who is like a big brother to me, is also a student like me in University of Calabria, while Emma who has great passion in Arab literature is the fiancée. I’ve longing to see Emma from a long time ago. So, finally the time came.

For four days, we stuck our selves like a glue. Went around the city, and to my surprise, Emma and Aimen have never seen the snow. I have always wondering that Napoli, or at least Campania is a little bit norther than us, Calabria, so, I thought that if the snow would fall first, it should have fallen in the area before us, which is Campania including Napoli. So, I was quite surprised when I saw Emma and Aimen were extremely happy just to see a small pile of snow in front of the university.

Emma said that the snow was there some years ago, but these recent years, Napoli was just shining all through the years. They were hoping to see or at least that the snow would fall again (because one day before their arrival, it was snowing in Rende). Too bad that the snow came no more. I told them that “you guys have brought the sun from Napoli and now Rende was shining all through the days”.

While staying with them, I learned many things. First, it was about the dialect. Yes, each region in Italy have their own dialect. Those from the north is quite different from those from the south. Even the southern regions have differences. For example, Campania and Calabria. Emma who is from Napoli was absolutely surprised to hear how the Calabresi (how they called those from Calabria) speak. Even some words are totally different from a formal Italian language. I’ll give you one example:

Nevica —–> this is how to say “It’s snowing” in a proper Italian language while in Calabrian dialect, they said “Sta jiazzanu!”

Quite different? Yes, it is!

Other thing, I learned was that when I cooked a dinner for the three of us. I promised to them that if they ever visit me, I will cook, especially for Emma. So, for lunch I cooked us a typical Indonesian cuisine: Fried Rice and Spicy Egg with Chili. For dinner, I cooked the tuna spaghetti with japanese sauce. This plate of dish inspired Aimen of spreading the peace message, as he said,

“One Japanese dish in one pot cooked by Indonesian and eaten by three people from three countries which represent three continents. Eka from Indonesia represent Asia, Emma from Italy represent Europe, and Aimen from Tunisia represent Africa. All sit and eat in one table. If we want we can make war but no, we choose to eat together.”

As for me,

“As you can taste a pot full of food with a spoon likewise someone’s tongue can tell you about his heart ”

– Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah

The short visit was closed by a quick tour around the campus and I showed Emma the Humanity library where some Islamic-themed books are standing still. Too bad that I just realized Emma’s great passion on Arab literature and both of us kinda regret it, on why we realize it too late. If only we realize it soon, we could have opted for reading the book the whole day. God, Emma, you’re a bookworm! I could not be happier than this! Well, at least, she’s quite happy and she promised me to take me to Napoli University’s library if I pay visit there.

Well, anyway, this short visit but meaningful one is one of memory adding up to pile of good things that was happened, is happening and will happen this year, InsyaAllah.

Gonna miss you much, big bro, Aimen and Emma, for sure, I will visit you in a near future and when I’m there, let’s do that “dance of Emma” 😉

Help! Harlem Shake Got Us

Harlem Shake! These two hilarious words had changed my gloomy worlds recently. I have no idea where this shaky stuff come from (well, I don’t really wanna know, actually) but on one cold afternoon, when I was just awoke from my slumber, suddenly my friend in the living room popped out this sentence:

“Hey, let’s make harlem shake video”

And I replied while trying my best to open my sleepy eyes, “what harlem shake?”

And there he go, started to show me the myriad of videos of this “phenomenal slash viral slash what-the-heck-is-this” thing, to me.

And my wacky mind started to elaborate as my other friend started to call other friends on the phone to come to my apartment, a place where this craziness would take place. And in one hour, 11 adult plus one cute little prince, gathered and here’s how we release our stress during our exam term this year:

enjoy the show!