Twenty Two

Rey Lasano 4:21:00 PM
Bagi saya, September adalah bulan yang spesial. Ada di tengah-tengah tahun, dan dengan adanya ulang tahun, saya jadi merasakan euforia resolusi tengah tahun secara besar-besaran. Mwahahahhaa...
Tahun ini, adalah tahun pertama saya merayakan ulang tahun di Indonesia setelah kembali dari perantauan ke negeri orang.

Begitu pulang, saya merasakan banyak perubahan. Bukan, bukan Jakarta. Jakarta masih sama melelahkan, sama macet dan bisingnya, dan sama membuat kangen dengan makanan-makanannya. Untuk sejenak, refleksi ulang tahun saya malam itu adalah, benarkah orang lain yang berubah? Ataukah justru saya yang terlalu banyak berubah dan egois menuding orang lain berubah?

Teman-teman bagi saya adalah harta. Kepada mereka saya selalu "pulang", menemukan "rumah" dan merasa aman. Bagi saya kadang tidak jelas mereka itu teman atau keluarga. Garis batasnya terlalu kabur, saking sayangnya pada manusia-manusia luar biasa itu. Dan dalam waktu satu bulan semenjak kepulangan saya dari Jepang hingga saya berulangtahun....... mereka menjadi orang-orang super asing, super cuek dan super menyebalkan.

Berulang kali curhat pada sesama teman di perantauan di ujung dunia sana, mengeluh padanya tentang bagaimana teman-teman kami di sini praktis berubah menjadi orang asing. Mempertanyakan apakah kepulangan saya sungguh kepulangan ke rumah? Meragukan persahabatan yang selama ini terlihat dengan setia mereka tawarkan menembus waktu dan samudera.

Saya bangun malam itu, pukul 11.59 malam dan berdoa, mensyukuri penyertaan Tuhan sepanjang satu tahun dan kerelaan Nya membiarkan saya mengecap 22 tahun kehidupan. Lima menit, sepuluh menit berlalu tidak terjadi apapun. Saya tidak percaya dengan ucapan via jejaring sosial, kecuali jika itu adalah satu-satunya alat untuk berkomunikasi, maka saya menolak membuka jejaring sosial malam itu. 

Lalu, seorang sahabat, yang seperti biasa menghembuskan ketenangan tanpa dia sadari dari ujung samudera yang lain, dengan ceria mengirimkan pesannya pada saya. Pesan sederhana berisi hanya tiga kalimat, yang efeknya langsung menceriakan saya yang beberapa hari belakangan punya mood hancur-hancuran karena dicuekin sama teman-teman sendiri. Bertanya-tanya sendiri kenapa anak yang satu itu selalu berhasil jadi deretan orang pertama yang mengucapkan "selamat ulang tahun" dari tahun ke tahun. Bagi saya, dia itu bintang keberuntungan. Hahahhahaa.. xD saya mungkin kurang pintar menjelaskannya, tapi seringkali kebahagiaan lain, keberuntungan lain yang tidak ada hubungannya sama sekali dengan dia, justru datang setelah saya berkomunikasi dengannya.

Membuka e-mail, seorang sahabat yang berada 6.305 mil (10.146 km) jauhnya dari saya mengirimkan video yang berisi semua ke khas an nya dalam menyampaikan sebuah ucapan. Dini hari itu, saya dihadiahkan permainan gitar dan nyanyiannya. Sejauh ini, umur dua puluh dua terasa menyenangkan. :)

Saya memutuskan kembali tidur. Setengah jam kemudian, kamar seperti diserbu. Ada banyak bunyi yang terdengar secara bersamaan, dan terang lilin yang mencurigakan. Hahahaha.. ternyata, teman-teman yang tidak saya duga datang dan membawakan kue, yak, dua sekaligus, dan bernanyi di sana. Untuk sesaat, saya terdiam kaget. Lalu tertawa lebar, lalu bersyukur. :))


Mereka adalah kawan-kawan dalam komunitas Gereja, orang-orang yang selalu bersama saya dalam pelayanan kasih, dalam usaha kami untuk tetap berada dalam Jalan Terang. Kehadiran mereka di sana, lebih dari yang saya duga, sangat sangat sangat berarti bagi saya. Saya dikelilingi cinta, dan saya sering kali melupakan itu. Mereka berada di rumah sampai jam dua pagi, mendoakan saya dan bernyanyi bersama, lalu makan kue dan mengobrol. 
Lalu mereka pulang, yang bagi saya secepat mereka datang. Menyadari besok bukan hari libur, saya terpaksa merelakan mereka kembali ke rumah masing-masing.

Melirik telepon genggam, sama sekali tidak ada pesan dari teman-teman yang lain. Tidak merasa curiga sama sekali, toh satu bulan ini mereka bertingkah seperti orang yang tidak mengenal saya.Saya kembali tidur, cukup nyenyak dan, betul-betul tidak mencurigai apapun.

Lalu, pukul enam pagi, empat orang perawan bertaring tajam...... hahahaha.. maaf, garing. udah lama nggak ngelucu. oke, lanjut, empat pribadi yang saya rindukan lebih dari segalanya, yang sebulan ini memperlakukan saya seperti manusia tak di kenal, datang, membawakan kue (lagi) dengan lilin di atasnya dan mengucapkan selamat ulang tahun. Reaksi pertama saya adalah marah. Marah lebih pada diri sendiri karena bisa-bisanya tidak menyadari bahwa perbuatan dan kelakuan mereka selama ini adalah bagian dari rencana mereka ini.




Senang dan hangat adalah perasaan yang dengan cepat memenuhi hati saya. Saya bersama-sama dengan mereka sampai siang hari itu, makan siang dengan mereka di Nanny's Pavillion Gandaria City, bermain di game centre dan merasa, lagi-lagi, mereka membuat ulang tahun saya tahun ini menjadi ulang tahun yang luar biasa. Saya rasa, bagi saya hal kedua yang terpenting setelah mensyukuri pertambahan umur di ulang tahun adalah kesempatan untuk berbagi hari itu dengan orang-orang terdekat saya.


Di akhir hari, saya menyadari bahwa saya telah meragukan mereka selama satu bulan penuh. Sekembalinya dari Jepang, saya benar-benar tidak merasa aman. Kuatir akan ditinggal, kuatir pulang untuk menemukan mereka bukan lagi orang-orang yang sama.
Tapi pada kenyataannya, mereka tidak berubah sebanyak itu. Tentu, di sana sini ada perubahan yang tidak dapat disangkal. Tapi bahwa fakta mereka amat menyayangi saya dan adalah orang-orang yang selalu membuat saya merasa nyaman, memastikan saya tertawa setiap hari, melembutkan saat saya terlalu keras kepala adalah fakta yang tidak pernah berubah.

Teman-teman yang lain, yang kini tersebar di berbagai tempat di dunia, mengucapkan selamat ulang tahun dengan berbagai cara. Mengirimi saya foto-foto yang sudah di edit, mengucapkan selamat ulang tahun dalam bahasa Indonesia dan mendoakan saya dengan begitu banyak hal indah.

Ada juga, teman yang menyatakan dirinya tidak ahli dalam memberikan kejutan, dan meminta maaf untuk hal itu. Jika saja dia ada di sebelah saya saat itu, saya pasti sudah melompat memeluknya. Karena dia sama sekali tidak perlu minta maaf karena menjadi dirinya sendiri.

 Kejutan terakhir datang dari tiga orang kawan seperjuangan selama ada di Jepang. Jenn, Rini dan Achien. Kepada ketiga orang ini saya banyak berhutang kesenangan, perlindungan, pelukan, penjagaan dan pertemanan selama berada di Jepang. Jenn, Rini dan Achin membawakan saya kue (yaaaay!! lagi.) dengan bendera Jepang kecil di atasnya dan menghadiahkan saya dua buah buku yang sedang ingin saya baca.
Kenyataan bahwa kami membawa persahabatan itu pulang hingga ke Tanah Air adalah sesuatu yang awalnya di luar dugaan saya. Karenanya, saat mereka ada di sana menawarkan keceriaan dan kehangatan yang sama, sekali lagi, saya bersyukur. 


Bagi saya, ulang tahun kali ini memiliki arti yang besar. Tahun lalu, saya merayakan ulang tahun di tempat yang tidak saya kenal. Tahun ini ulang tahun saya adalah pengingat bahwa saya sudah kembali ke rumah. Saya rasa, saya adalah orang yang amat sangat beruntung. Saya dikelilingi orang-orang yang LUAR BIASA. Karena mereka, dengan berbagai ciri khas mereka, selalu selalu selalu menjaga dan mendoakan saya dalam cara mereka masing-masing. Saya tidak akan pernah meragukan mereka lagi. Dan terimakasih Tuhan, untuk berkat yang indah: saya memliki malaikat-malaikat dan keluarga yang tersembunyi dalam tubuh para sahabat..!!


"Presents don't really mean much to me. I don't want to sound mawkish, but - it was the realization that I have a great many people in my life who really love me, and who I really love."
-Gabriel Byrne


For me, seriously September is one special month. It's in the middle of the year, a perfect time to make a mid-year resolution because there is this birthday spirit and usually I got so excited with it. This year is another first year where I would celebrate my birthday after spending a year struggling in another country.

By the time i stepped back to Jakarta, i was like, oh boy, things have seriously changed since the last time i was here. And nope, it has nothing to do with location. Jakarta is as old, as crowded, as tiring and as exciting with its food as it used to be. But the people, they changed. People i used to know, they were not the same. But then again, for a while my birthday reflection was filled with questions. Questions like is it true that everybody else changed? Or perhaps it was me, who changed too much and i blame others for staying the same?

Friends for me are treasure. I would always think of them as "home", place where i would go back to. Sometimes for me it is not clear wether they are mere best friends or actually part of my family. Sometimes the line is so blurry, because i heart them so much. But...when i came home from Japan, in a matter of a month i noticed that they changed. Being so cold, so uncaring and the most painful thing is, they treat me as if i was a stranger. 


I talked to one of my girls, who was in fact, staying in another part of the world. Hahahaha...
I remembered i spent almost the whole month confronting her on how on earth could our best friends changed?? I was questioning if i was actually coming "home"? Or did i just came to a perfectly strange place and me and other people around me need to do some serious adjustment all over again. I doubt their sincerity, doubt something they called "friendship", something that actually through time and oceans, they proved to me that certain bonds do exist. By the time i was back at home, i doubt everything.

The night on my birthday, i woke up at 11.59 pm, thanks to my super noisy alarm and i prayed. Thanking God for letting me sipped all the joys and flavors of 22 years of life, all the lessons and all the experiences. After praying, you could say that i was actually waiting. I didnt really know what i was waiting for, but i definitely waited for something to happen. I'm a kind of girl that would really appreciate greetings if i received those not from social network, unless it was the only way to reach to me. So that day on my birthday i didnt open any of my social network account at all.

 Then, there is this particular person. A best friend, who as always, gives me this certain atmosphere of calmness from a place so faraway from mine. He was cheerful, and sent me a short message only of three lines, saying happy birthday and even though it was so short, it had this very big effect on me, remembering that this past month, everyone has been treating me like im such a stranger. I think i would always wondering how he always manage to be one of the first persons to greet me a happy birthday every single year. :D
As for me, he is my lucky star. Im not good enough in explaining that but he was clearly, my lucky star. It feels like good fortune always came to me after i was in contact with him. Some could call it mere coincidences, but i call it blessings. And God could bless you through practically anyone. This particular bestie, i think he is one of God's regular choice in blessing me. ;D

 I read his message and i was smiling, then preparing to go back to sleep but my cellphone then buzzed. Another best friend, who was 6.305 miles (10.146 km) away from me sent an email. Inside was a certain link inviting me to watch a video. And a threat, of not even dare to open it if in case the mail reach me before my birthday. There she was, greeting me a happy birthday, play her guitar and singing a very beautiful song. Her video was filled with all the good things, laughters and beautiful wishes and as far as i could see it, being 22 was not bad at all. Not bad at all, folks.
I decided to go back to sleep then. I guess it was like 15 min or so and suddenly a bunch of people pooped out from nowhere and the room was filled with singing voices and suddenly there were these cakes in front of me with candles and i looked up and saw my folks from the Church were there with their smiling faces, some of them with "gotcha!" faces and i was surprised and happy and kind of embarassed because i was in my pyjamas but it didnt take long for me to start laughing with them like crazy.
There they were, my dear friends from the Church, the people I always work together with in God's Way of Light. They were there, sharing the love and the joy and the celebration and their presence meant so much to me, more than i can ever tell them. Their presence was kind of proof... that i am surrounded by love, and that i often forgot about that.
They stayed until around 2 am, and as much as i want them to stay a bit longer and longer and longer, my mum start to remind me that it was weekdays, and everyone will have to go to work and by keeping them here until 2 am, i already caused them troble enough. hahahahaha.. so i let them go, uneasily, but i did that anyway.
Thank you... for sharing the love, the joy, the faith, folks.
Thank you for sharing the togetherness. :)
After that I remembered i looked at my cellphone and there was no messages whatsoever from my besties. I was... sad, i thought they will be kind enough to at least remember my birthday. But...! I guess i was quite happy, and i thoght i didnt have the right to complain, my birthday was filled with love. :) So, i went back to sleep, and quickly fell asleep.
Then, i thought it was around 6 am, because my brother was getting ready for school and when he does that my mum normally shouting here and there to keep everything under control. But there was these strange noises, and when i opened my eyes, my favorite girls were there. They were LAUGHING their a** off! I think it must have something to do with the combination of my expression seeing them there with cakes (again. yay!) and trying to sing happy birthday song as best as their could because they were practically laughing!!
I was....... angry. For whatever reason, even for a birthday surprise, they couldnt have been doing THAT to me. I miss them so much and they treated me like a stranger and i was so angry. But then I realized, that it was sooo them and i was so stupid, never realizing this before and ended up feeling miserable for a month!
Rini said that she could not really figure out if i was actually pretending that i dont see why they did that, or i was just really too naive and was 100% clueless that they were planning this since the beginning of time.
I am well aware that i'm easily..... trapped, thank you very much. *giggle*
Soon i felt happy and warm, especially when they hugged me and cheerfully told me what they have been doing all night, while waiting for the time to come to my house. Their confession included their own debate of whether it's okay to actually send me a happy birthday text on around 3 am, so that i dont really feel sad, or worse, suspicious of why not one of them actually send something.
I replied by saying sometimes i dont know why i'm still calling them best friends.
We went to eat my birthday lunch at Nanny's Pavillion in Gandaria City. I was planning to do something... different but it was, as i told you before, a weekday so i need to go to work later on that afternoon. The lunch was very nice, an then everyone was in the mood of doing some fun things at the game centre, and i felt..... so good!



Why, once again they make sure that my birthday is a day to remember, a day that i was once again given the privilege to remember that i am loved, so very much. I think, one the best things about birthday is because you have the chance to share that day with people you loved the most. And it was already a gift!!
At the end of the day, i realied fully that i have been selfish since i came home to Indonesia. I was so insecure and feeling worried that everybody have somehow go on with their lives without realizing i was coming back, and i was afraid to come home to place where people have already changed so much. Like, too much changes occurred in a short time and i was unable to find my place between them anymore. 
But, the fact is they dont change that much. Sure, there are plenty of changes that just visibly seen here and there, but the thing is, they care about me and it doesnt change. The fact that they are people who always manage to make me feel comfortable with myself and that they always are the people who make sure i laugh everyday and that they are the people who will soften my heart, and my head when it goes to hard... those are things about them that stay the same.
As Rinane said... we just.... grow up.

So then, i closed my birthday by receiving so many love and greetings from friends all over the world. This is my first time seeing people from various places in the world sending their thoughts, prayers and wishes for my birthday.
I tell you what, it was amazing!
They sent me pictures and some of them even tried to write happy birthday in Bahasa Indonesia and it was.. warm hearting. Reading those messages, seeing those pictures, i guess Lord has been blessing me with more than i ever ask Him to.

And, between them, there was also a best friend, who said that she wasnt really a surprise person, and that she was sorry for that. I would've jumped and hugged her if she was there beside me. Because in the end, i knew she hearts me, and that she express it in her own way, and seriously, she doesnt have to say sorry for being herself.
Her personality add to the color of my life and i wouldnt have it in any other way :D :D

The last surprise came from my dearest friends that went to Japan with me, and struggled there for a year. Jenn, Rini and Achien bought a birthday cake (yumm!! again, i know, i know. still it doesnt make it any less surprising ;D) with Japan's little flag on top of it and they also bought me the two books that i was dying to read. The thing is, the fact that we brought home our friendship is something that acually i didnt expect. But to them, i owe all my happiness, protection, cheerfulness, hugs and reassurance that i am not alone in Japan. Finding them sitting there offering a friendship so warm and so cheerful as they always do in Japan somehow made me sure that through all those crazy changes and adjustment process, they will walk with me. I am, people, beyond happy and beyond pleased of having them around.

I guess, this year my birthday reflection would be this, i am loved and love, it doesnt change through years, aross places and ocean. That love, is a powerful force that you can actually felt like you are wrapped inside of it, if only you can always find a way to feel it.
And that i would never doubt my good friends in any occasion anymore, because... because good friends trust in each other.
I am just too lucky. I have people here and there, on so many places in the world saying their prayers for me and i think that is more than enough as a gift.




Thanks God, for giving me angels and families hidden in my best friends' bodies.

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Namiseom: Music, Nature and Friends

Rey Lasano 4:01:00 PM
Okay folks, it's about time already for me to get back in touch writing blog! I miss writing too, seriously. But you can't ever imagine that although I was quite sure I will be pretty much, um, free since  practically almost everyone that goes at the same school year with me have cleverly graduated, I figured out I will not see them much so there probably be little things I will have to do at the university.

Wrong. Totally wrong.

By the time I stepped my feet upon Jakarta, these ten thousand things start to pop up from nowhere and suddenly I have ten thousand things to be done. Having a job as a Japanese translator (which I am so totally very very grateful about and enjoy it till this very moment) and organizing one of my best friend's wedding is to name just a few.

But then I am happy to finally got my own me-time tonight and I decided to write. I think I'm going to pick up from where I left and that would be.... the report of Jason Mraz's concert in a beautiful little island of Nami, South Korea!!
Oh, please, I know it's been like decades, but still it is fun to write about that. I had a REALLY good time!

So, quick facts for those who are unfamiliar with this beautiful isle, Namisoem, or Nami Island as it's called in English is an isle located in Chuncheon, South Korea. That's around 1 hour by subway from Seoul followed by 5-10 minutes ride on ferry, or faster by zip-line, which was so... expensive. If you're coming from Seoul, no worries because it is really easy to reach the place. All you need is a reliable subway map, look for the Gyeongchun line, and your final stop is called Gapyeong. Check this Seoul Subway Guide web, it has all you need to make sure you know your way in Seoul. I was staying around Insa-dong, so I took the subway from Jonggak station, make my way to Hoegi and change train there. From Hoegi station, go all the way to Mangu, it is just 3 station from Hoegi and get off there, you need to change train once again. From Mangu take the subway to Gapyeong, don't worry, Mangu is a big transit station, you will easily find your way. Gapyeong is exactly 10 stations away from Mangu, and once you stepped out from the station, you will see this:
the picture on your left is Gapyeong station, from here you can take a bus to Gapyeong Wharf. The wharf is the port of entry to Nami Island, or often referred as Naminara Republic. You can also catch a taxi from Gapyeong station as it is not cost you too much. But taking public bus (the bus stop is ahead of you) is almost always a good idea since you can get a pretty good views along the road. Taxis usually take shortcuts, which, still have good views but probably public bus is way more fun. Or, you can take a shuttle bus to simplified everything. Check the detailed information here. The site includes nice maps, detailed information on how-to reach the island and reservation information on shuttle bus. Quick info, the shuttle bus departs and returns only once a day. The departure station is from Insa-dong (rock Insa-dong! The place is sooo close from everywhere. Very nice.) and Jamsil at 9.30 am and return back from Nami at 4 pm.

At the port of entry, before you hop on the ferry or zip-line, you need to have the "passport" and pay "visa" fees to enter the Republic. It's KRW 10,000 or around IDR 85,000. The round trip ferry's fare is included in your visa fee. 

This is Gapyeong Wharf, where you take the ferry after completing all "immigration" fees at the locket. :)


Nope, that is not exactly Nami Island, but the view from the ferry was nice, thought it'll be great to share it with you guys.

some views from the ferry. The short ride itself was fun, or probably that was because i git TOO excited about seeing Jason Mraz. ;P


So after the ride in the ferry, i finally got here!! The Naminara Republic a.k.a Nami Island a.k.a Namisoem a.ka. place where i go to my first concert ever and it was Mraz's!!!
Oh, and if you have some good spare money you should try the zip-line instead of the old school ferry because it looked like so much fun. It's like... a flying fox ride, only better. You sit and they will "zipped" you above the river directly to Nami Island. via the sky. Magic. Expensive. But hey, you got all the fun! *giggles
Once you got off from the ferry, you will be greeted by this gate below. I, uh, can't really figure out what is written there, but this is the most common entry to Nami Island. I think there is another wharf somewhere and another gate if you came by the zip line thing.
When i got off the ferry, i really can't help but to feel like super super really happy. And relieved, because i made it there to Nami Island. Thanks God the journey was okay and that i did not get astray like....... like i usually do. lol.

 So, i was normally looking for the signs of Jason Mraz's presence, the banners, or probably a lead on where his room was... xD hahahaha... I did not find it, of course. Not that i couldn't *ahem* but it was just because when i stepped my feet there, there were too many distractions. Nature. Beautiful things. and I was allowed to enjoy my pretty much me-time in a strange surroundings with unfamiliar language and yet still feel grateful and happy.

 ....those, and the fact that Nami Island is truly a beautiful place. It was like a perfect escape place, whether you are from Seoul, or other major cities, or just dropping by to enjoy the peaceful surroundings, it was a place where for a moment you can actually forget bad things.

 This is the front office of Nami Island. The very first building you can see after you go through the gate. They provided maps, guides, bike-rent and all the useful stuffs here. I grabbed one of the guide, thinking about renting the bike, but decide it will be rather inconvenient so i continue my very own exploration-almost-like-an-adventure by foot.

 I dont think the Koreans speak English well, but they did try to communicate with tourists. They are friendly, and patient. So when you're in doubt of what to do first, try to speak with the nice officers at the front office. They will be glad to have the chance to help you out.

 After walking and walking and walking i began to see that mostly Nami Island is a very nice place to take some very nice photo shoots. Dont expect a roller coaster or a magnificent theme park, because it was like a nature preservation. It's small, and in 4 dedicated hours you could possibly done with exploring it. But Nami Island is an isle of treasure, look hard and you probably found them. :)




Okaaay. So this is one of my favorite spot at Nami Island. I went here when it was Summer, so it was pretty hot. But in this place it was all green with wooden chairs and there were lots of trees so it was not that hot! I would LOVE a small piece of this place at my house! The feel is amazing!
I think that this place will be super amazing in Autumn and Winter, but that time I wass happy I went there on Summer. Or else I would not be able to feel the gentleness of the wind caressing my hair with mild green leaves spoiled my eyes with their beauties. :)

The blue band on my wrist is the ticket to Rainbow Island, the annual music festival in South Korea, in which Mraz would perform as a guest star. My band was blue because it was a single-day ticket. The yellow one was a two day pass, and you are permitted to camp around the island with it.

Did I say camp?
I did!
Rainbow Island festival is actually an Indie music festival. This year they wanted it to be not only music, but also nature. The whole concept is that people could leave behind all their works, their busy days, their unreasonable load of works, and come to an island where they enjoy music and nature. Where people can go back to nature by camping around the island, listening to selected music all night long.
So yeah, that is basically the noble idea to give people an escape even for just a while.
And for me, of course it worked! :)

At the first time, I went there with one expectation. To see Jason Mraz's live concert. I have been a super big fan, even if he decided to, uh, change his already beautiful hair to something... that is less 'his style' but whatever, it's his hair anyways.

His live concerts are the kind of concerts i will certainly go to because he sang DIFFERENTLY in his lives concerts. In a good way, of course. So it's not like you came to a live show and listened to CD, only that the singer is there in front of you. Mraz's concerts are amazing. He improvised, he sang freely and he is... amazing!! 

 But then, i realized it was not only Mraz's concert, it was an Indie music concert. Mostly South Korean bands, of course and i have no idea of who they are. But.... it was not a K-pop bands. They were like... SUPER COOL!!!!! They have three stages there, and each of the stages have perfectly arranged shows and live concerts of small bands, and big ones of course and it was SO ROCK. That was my first concert ever, but was like REALLY REALLY AMAZING.

Oh, a bit intermezzo from the concerts. The picture above and below are photographs of my next favorite spot at Nami Island. It was near the Song Museum (yes there is a museum in the island, and yes it is a song museum). I didnt have time to go there, though, too bad..


Back to the concert report, I was practically alone there. After hours of exploring the island, watch some performers do amazing jobs of entertaining us all, i decided to look for the biggest stage, which is the Rainbow Stage, which i cant find from the very start and which was so stupid of me because it was supposed to be a very big stage.

But you cant blame me guys! It was like hidden, behind the trees! okay. it was not hidden, but i needed to go through this big tents and when i did, voila! welcome to the Rainbow Island itself, the carnival-circus like atmosphere with big stages that was seriously unseen from the outside. The picture on your right is a photo booth. Yep, a photo booth! It was super fun!

I made new friends there, the kind hearted guy came from Canada, and his two friends are Korean girls. They were as excited as i was about Mraz, and soon we were like talking A-Z, not only about Mraz but also about other fun things! Chad treated me with some good beers and Hye Joo told me about other Korean bands that were going to perform that day.
Soon after, Kim, a stranger to us all join us. He was exhausted, looked like he was going to faint so everyone was like giving him water and invite him to sit, using fan so he could get some air and i can tell he was extremely thankful.

Seriously he was really going to faint.

Chad treat me another beer (again) and just before Mraz came out, Kim disappeard. He re-appeared some minutes later with tea and water for everyone.
Mraz's concert was delayed, so everyone sit around the field ad we talked, tok pictures and laughed a lot. like, A LOT. See, thing about music and nature is, they bring people together. It was like meeting old friends, not like i was sitting with strangers. They dont even speak English (except Chad, of course), and i dont speak Korean even for a little, but we enjoyed our conversations and we laughed like we've known each other for a long time.
When we watched the other bands' performance Hye Joo made me jump with her and soon i realized everyone was jumping, laughing at each other and the atmosphere and energy was so.. great, it was so positive, cheerful and it was just like even if you came with a bad mood, even it was so hot out there, but you will feel really really really happy after listening to some of them singing and receive the energy from people around you. I think it was the magic of sharing music and nature with everyone else. When i took the subway that very morning, i thought i could use the me-time, alone and experience Mraz's music happily. But then i found friends, and realize that as much as it is fun to be alone every once and a while, when you combine music and nature, somehow it is even more fulfilling when you share them with others.


 While waiting for Mraz, Hye Joo asked me how i am going to go home after seeing the concert. I told her i was going to take the last subwas back to Seoul, to Jonggak station. And then this conversation occured.

 Hye Joo: Great. Did you reserve the ticket?
Me: What ticket?
Hye Joo: The subway.
Me: *drinking tea
Kim: you did not reserve a ticket yet, right?
Me: *drinking tea
Hye Joo: Seriously????
Me: Do i have to?
Hye Joo: OF COURSE!! What were you thinking?? Oh, God, it's too late now. What time is it now? Oh no. Oh nooo. *starting to panic
Chad: Just reserve one for her. *drinking beer

 Then Hye Joo took out her phone, do this and that, panicking again, do this and that again and she finally jumped out, screaming "I DID it!! Yay! you can go home!! you're safe!" *hug me

 I was............ people, she was almost a complete stranger. She was worried for me, panic for me, and was so relieved when she got a subway ticket for me.
I was.... speechless. thankful, happy, really grateful, but not sure how to say it. There are times when you feel so thankful, but thank you alone seems not enough.

 Not long after, Mr. Mraz appeared at the stage and he was so AMAZINNGGG!!!
I couldnt believe i was there seeing him with my own eyes, listening to him with my own ears, it was MAGICAL. I cant thank God enough for letting me have this chance. I was really really really happy! I've got my favorite musician singing in front of me, I have friends standing beside me, in one of the most beautiful places i've ever been too.. boy, i had no complaint. not a single one.
When we finally have to leave the concert before it was finished (because we have to take the last ferry, damn.), my good new friends INSISTED that they want to accompany me to the biggest transit station (which only about 5 or 6 station from Jonggak). Their homes was on the other way of the stations, but they said they want to make sure that i got home safe.
And the subway ticket? I did not pay for that. Hye Joo said that it was on her, and that she was happy that she met me and Kim said that I'm always welcomed in South Korea, and if i ever come back, i have to call him and he will take me around. Chad pat my back and said he will probably come around to Indonesia and that he will see me in Indonesia.

 I am the luckiest girl alive. Because everywhere i go, God gave me good friends, and as HE promised, i am always protected.

 When i finally got home (Rini was asleep already, said something about her going to this super amazing castle and that she will show me the pictures later), I opened Facebook and....... there were messages from them! Saying goodbye, safe trip back to Japan, keep in touch and everything.
There could exist, you know, something as "a world without stranger". All you need is music and nature. :)

 Oh, and some little details about Nami Island. Dont worry if you got really hungry because they have this small food court and some good restaurants. They served really good ice creams!

I ate this Korean food, I dont really recall the name. But i think it was something like big omelette and it was delicious! I had ice cream after that and satisfied. Food was good and ice cream was even better.

Nami Island has various beautiful spot to take a picture. Like I said before, it was an island of treasure. You will need to look closely to find them!
It was said that there were wildlife animals in the island and you can come across some ostriches around. It was advisable to stay away and not touching the ostriches because they are untamed wild animlas that have the possibility of..... kicking you.

 Yes, you can possibly got kicked by an ostrich at Nami Island if you dont behave yourself.

 This coffee and ice cream shop thought that ostriches supposed to be really colorful and cute so they decided to use them as the mascot.



Yup, you are right. These are ostrich-like pens and yes they were for sale! 
I am not really a big fan of ostrich so i thought i will pass that. xD xD

 There are plenty of things to do at Nami Island. They have some interesting water sports, and clay-making centre, and than Song Museum and Glass Museum and you can really spend good time there. Oh, on a lighter note, this place was a movie set for Winter Sonata, a very famous  Korean drama. You can see LOTS of landmarks that belong to the ovie. The 
bridge where the main casts had their first kiss, the romantic pine tree path, the bicycle the main casts used with wooden statue of the them and a memorial stone for one of the actor that committed suicide some years ago.

 It will be really boring if i put those pictures too because you can easily google them. :)

 So this is my report from Nami Island. I hope you guys enjoy reading it as much as i do enjoy writing it!
I'll see you around guys.

 Namisoem, annyeong higaseyo.
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Death

Rey Lasano 10:38:00 PM
Why do people die?

 There are sayings that death itself is a blessing as much as life is. Or maybe better. I don't understand. One day that person was there, so close to you, so within your reach, breathing so much alive, and then the next day he just.... gone.
How could people just.. go? Just vanished, like in a snap, in a blink of eye, then they stop breathing, stop talking, stop living.. stop being within your reach..?

 Lately I'm surrounded by so many griefs. I landed in the airport (yeah, guys, by the way i'm home to Indonesia again! Pardon me for sounding so grumpy, cant help it), my brother hugged me and said one of our family's friend has passed away an hour earlier. 

 .....................

 so much for a 'welcome home' news. A total speechless, followed by a denial. I was just pretending I did not hear anything, not knowing that one of my best critic has no longer breath the same air with me. The moment I heard the word "passed away" it felt like I immediately built this emotion fortress, barricading anything that relates to death, sadness, grief and so on. I guess I am scared. Scared of what sounds like an eternal goodbyes.

 A few days later, my uncle was gone too. I am so tired of crying, I felt like I am sad but the tears just wont come out anymore. So I just stood there in the living room, listening to my mum spoke over the phone but her voice and other sounds too start to become noises I dont understand. I was not sure how I felt. Is it grief? Sadness? Emptiness?

 My cousin--whose father was in the coffin at the moment I spoke to him, was a brave guy. He laughed, he tried his best not showing his tears, so that anyone else, his mum, his sisters and nephews and other cousins could turn to him for comfort. But I think it was so stupid, he deserved every right to cry. So when he was alone, staring blankly at his house I came to him and just hugged him. I practically did not know what to say to him. And he hugged me back, and cried. Which was so good for him, because I hate seeing him smiling and telling everybody again and again that he was glad his father is at peace now. For me, he sounded like he was telling that to himself, like a spell or a chant so he wont break down at the critical moment.
Then I promised him I will be there, also if months, years ahead when he felt like sadness are going to tear him up from the inside (which, I sometimes still felt. Yeah, I'm not over my dad's death, I will admit it honestly and openly), I'll be with him.

 The whole thing with death, no matter how many times I tried to inject something positive into my mind, I just could not see it. I could not see anything good of death, despite people sayings' about the dead person being free from all painful things, eternal peace and everything.

 At some point I felt so....... confused. The other times I felt angry. Only I don't know who is it I'm angry at. I don't want to get angry at God, I still believe that things happen under His control. Still... I have so many questions. Why reunite family if death would just tear them up? Why do people have to experience death? 

 How could people just..... gone? To a place I could not follow yet, all of a sudden?
When you grow up, you learn that people around you are not going to stay around you forever.
When you grow up, you learn that forever is God's right.
When you grow up, you learn that there is something called grief.
When you grow up, you learn that sooner or later you just have to deal with it.

 Children have an abstract concept of death, I think. They just could not understand the meaning of eternal goodbye, It is something that they could not even imagine, and I envy them for that.
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