paris, tiga hari pertama

Alhamdulillah aku nggak kena jet lag meski waktu di Semarang dan Perancis beda 6 jam.
Minggu siang kemarin aku puas-puasin jalan ke museum Louvre. Tujuan utamanya nonton Monalisa sambil mengira-ira lokasi-lokasi yang diceritakan di Da Vinci Code.

Paris is as usual, feels alive, meski suhu hari itu 1°C. Di stasiun kereta bawah tanah tetap saja ada para pengamen yang bagus banget main musiknya. Ada yang main musik Rusia sambil nari, ada juga yang main kulintang. Hm, kalau begini rasanya nggak sayang kita kasih uang receh ke mereka.

Hari Minggu di minggu pertama tiap bulan, kita bisa masuk ke semua musem di Paris gratis. Biasanya tiket masuk Louvre adalah € 8.5 atau sekitar Rp.95,000. Ternyata yang namanya gratisan dimana-mana memang menarik. Nggak heran, antrean di pintu masuknya panjaaaaaanggggg banget. Yang bikin lama adalah karena sebelum masuk kita harus melewati pemeriksaan X-ray kaya di bandara.

Menjelajah Louvre nggak akan selesai dalam satu hari. Kemarin kita menjelajah bagian French and Italian painters dan Roman histories. Kadang sampai merinding ngeliat patung-patung kaisar Romawi kuno atau peti jenazah yang umurnya sudah 20 abad dan masih bagus.

Luksan-lukisannya juga nggak kalah seru. Ada lukisan Napoleon yang dengan sombongnya memahkotai diri sendiri sambil berdiri membelakangi Paus, lukisan perang di Rusia, dimana Napoleon puas banget dengan hasilnya sampai-sampai si pelukis dianugerahi medali kehormatan, sampai lukisan pertempuan Jean d'Arc yang seru dan berdarah-darah...and of course, Monalisa.

Jujur aku selalu coba cari alasan terbaik kenapa Monalisa dipuja-puja. Antrean pengunjung buat melihatnya amit-amit panjangnya, padahal lukisannya kecil, suram, nggak cantik, dibalik kaca yang penuh sensor infra merah pula. Kata Jeff, mungkin dia dipuja lebih karena siapa yang bikin dan bukan karena gimana hasilnya. Karena Da Vinci adalah orang yang cukup misterius kerja otaknya sebagai inventor, artist, sekaligus scientist, orang jadi berpikir, apa ya, yang ada di otak da Vinci saat melukis perempuan ini?

Hmm...kalo diingat-ingat kan memang orang-orang modern yang sibuk mengira-ira ada apa di balik Monalisa?

Kami selesai jalan-jalan bukan karena bosan, tapi karena lapar banget... makanya kami lalu sibuk cari-cari tempat untuk makan siang. Akhirnya kita jalan ke Rivoli, ke sebuah cafe yang dengan bangga mencantumkan "depuis 1827" atau "sejak tahun 1827" (aku lupa nama cafenya) dan pesan quinche (sejenis pie dengan isi krim dan keju plus daging-dagingan atau sea food atau jamur) yang uenak banget... disajikan dengan green salad. Hmmmm...

Kalau mau ngerasain "rasa perancis" yang sesungguhnya, memang kita lebih baik masuk ke kafe-kafe kuno yang banyak bertebaran di Paris. Makanannya Perancis banget, kaya krim, keju, atau susu, dengan banyak pilihan wine. Biasanya mereka sudah buka sejak lebih dari seratus tahun lalu. Jadi saat negara kita masih sibuk mengusir penjajah, orang-orang Perancis udah enak-enakan hang out di cafe...
Buat yang muslim, jangan ragu untuk bilang kalau kita minta halal food. Selain karena Islam adalah agama terbesar kedua setelah katolik di negara ini, banyak imigran muslim di negara ini, juga karena layanan buat turis adalah nyawa kota ini.

Setelah lunch yang telat itu kita jalan-jalan di Carrousel du Louvre, taman yang ada di depan Louvre. Di taman ini kita bisa liat 4 landmarks Paris sekaligus: Eiffel, Louvre, Arc de Triomphe dari jaman Napoleon Bonaparte dan Obelisk hadiah dari kerajaan Mesir tempo doeloe.
Ini salah satu taman favoritku, salah satu taman yang paling cantik di Paris. Fuh... pas musim panas sih aku suka banget duduk-duduk di taman ini, nonton bebek berenang di bawah air mancur atau sambil kasih makan burung-burung. Tapi, kali ini kan musim dingin... siang itu suhunya 1°C!

Sore sampai malamnya aku hang out bareng sahabat-sahabat Jeff di kafe di kawasan Saint-Germain. Sekali lagi kafenya juga sudah brumur lebih dari 150 tahun. Ternyata nggak ada satupun dari kami yang minum alkohol, bahkan nggak ada yang ngerokok. Kita malah sibuk ngusirin orang-orang yang ngerokok di sekitar tempat duduk kita, dengan alasan, "maaf, di sini ada ibu-ibu yang lagi hamil..."

Saat orang-orang yang kita usirin itu menoleh, selain Morgan dan Sophie yang lagi bener-bener hamil, aku dan Karine ikut-ikutan gedein perut dan mengelus-elusnya...and it works!
Para perokok itu menyingkir sambil minta maaf...hehehe...

Bohong besar kalau ada yang bilang tiap nongkrong di cafe para bule selalu pesan alkohol. No-no-no... memang di meja lain banyak yang pesan wine, tapi di meja kami, bahkan para pria memilih pesan coklat panas dan pie apel. Paling pol coca-cola. Sumpah, itu coklat panas terenak yang pernah aku coba.... nyammmmm... .

Malam itu ada pasangan Morgan dan Steve, Sophie dan Cyrill, Karine dan Francois, dan of course, Asri dan Jean-François. Satu-satunya perempuan bule asli cuma Morgan. Sophie dari Maldives, Karine blasteran Thailand-Perancis, dan aku Indonesia. Umur kita sepantaran, dan semua bisa bahasa Inggris, jadi asik banget ngobrolnya.

Seperti yang sudah kudengar dari cerita-cerita Jeff sebelumnya, semua baik dan bersahabat.

2 sahabat Jeff, Morgan dan Sophie malah menawarkan diri untuk ngajarin aku bahasa Perancis full-time, karena kebetulan mereka berdua lagi hamil pertama dan para suami mengizinkan mereka nggak bekerja sampai baby-nya lahir dan cukup besar untuk ditinggal. Jadi mereka punya banyak waktu buat nemenin dan ngajarin aku. Mereka bilang, belajar bahasa Perancis sama teman lebih baik daripada belajar di tempat kursus. Mereka siap kasih banyak pelajaran, mulai dari bahasa sampai masak makanan eropa...

Mereka berdua semula punya karir yang cukup bagus. Morgan sekretaris di balaikota Paris dan Sophie graphic designer di kantor tata kota. Morgan malah pernah tinggal dan kerja di USA 3 tahun, dan dengan mudah mereka memutuskan berhenti kerja begitu kehamilan masuk bulan ketiga.

Seneng rasanya, liat para suami yang bertanggung jawab, plus istri-istri yang berani memutuskan untuk pergi dari hal-hal materialistis demi anak dan keluarga...

Orang-orang di sekitar keluarga ini jauh banget dari cerita-cerita negatif soal gaya hidup orang barat... bahkan nggak banyak lagi kebaikan seperti ini bisa kita temukan dari orang-orang di sekitar kita di Indonesia...hiks. Setelah kupikir-pikir, di kebanyakan negara Asia orang keliatan terlalu sibuk dengan hidupnya sendiri. Kejar karir yang lebih tinggi mati-matian, keharusan untuk punya ini dan itu, prestiges, gengsi, sementara di sini, lebih banyak orang muda yang memilih untuk menjalani hidup dan bahagia tanpa harus jadi ini dan itu.

Kalau orang bilang Paris adalah pusat mode dan kita jadi bayangin kalau semua orang berdandan sophisticated, I think it's a big NO. Paris means "dress whatever you like." Kita nyaman banget untuk jadi diri sendiri di sana. Branded fashion outlets memang banyak, tapi lebih banyak turis yang datang dan belanja di sana daripada orang asli Perancis.

Kemarin kita nggak jadi ke Disney. Papa minta kita main ke rumah nenek yang tinggal di apartemen dekat rumah. Lucu, begitu liat aku di depan pintu, beliau langsung mengenali aku tanpa harus kenalan. Beliau sudah 90 tahun, tapi kegesitan, kemampuan fisik dan pikirannya masih kaya nenek umur 60 tahun. Kita nonton foto-foto lama (terlama dari tahun 1906 dan fotonya masih bagus!), dan dengerin cerita-cerita lama mulai soal banjir di sungai Marne dekat rumah, perang dunia I dan II, sampai soal masa kecil papanya Jeff.

Kita panggil nenek "mamie" dan kakek "papie".
Luar biasa banget, 90 tahun beliau masih sehat, nggak tremor, masih masak, belanja dan bersih-bersih rumah sendiri.

Yang juga luar biasa adalah kualitas foto-foto yang disimpan beliau. Aku takjub banget, ada foto papie pas masih TK, bareng teman-teman sekelas dan gurunya yang masih pakai gaun mengembang kaya little Missy. Semula kita bingung, papie yang mana, karena keliatannya semua perempuan. Ternyata pada masa itu anak-anak cowok dari bayi sampai umur 5 tahun berambut panjang dan rambutnya diikat dengan pita!!! cuteeeee....

Ada juga foto keluarga mamie yang sampai sekarang masih bingung mereka ini keturunan Italia atau Spanyol, gara-gara nama keluarga mereka "Maria" dan mereka berambut hitam ikal dan bermata coklat besar. Orangtua mamie punya toko alat-alat berkuda... bisnis yang jelas-jelas cuma bisa hidup dengan baik saat mobil belum diciptakan...

Melihat foto-foto papie dan mamie serasa melihat sejarah perancis plus perkembangan modenya. Selain foto-foto keluarga juga ada foto pameran dirgantara perancis yang pertama, foto pesawat jet pertama yang dimiliki Air France, foto papie pakai seragam tentara perancis saat perang melawan Jerman, foto pernikahan papie dan mamie, foto kayak (sejenis perahu) yang pernah dipakai seseorang buat melintas selat antara perancis dan inggris tapi kemudian dijual murah dan dibeli papie buat berperahu sepanjang sungai Marne bersama papa dan tante Monique di musim panas...atau buat mengantar papa berangkat sekolah saat Champs sur Marne banjir di awal musim semi..

Dulu di tahun 50-an kota ini sering banjir kaya di Semarang dan Jakarta, tapi sejak tahun 70-an pemerintah bisa mengatasinya dengan pembangunan drainase dan kanal-kanal yang baik. Jadi sekarang aku yakin, kota-kota banjir di negara kita pasti juga bisa diperbaiki, asal dengan goodwill yang kuat dari pemerintahan yang bersih.

Semua foto diberi catatan tahun, bulan dan tanggal. Ternyata semasa hidup, bahkan sejak jaman perang, papie suka fotografi dan mencetak foto-fotonya sendiri. Hobi fotografi ini menurun ke papa dan Jeff.

Aku juga tanya, mamie dan papie dulu ketemuannya gimana. Ternyata mereka ketemu di Ball, atau pesta dansa di Centre de la Ville (hmm...semacam pusat pertemuan atau aktifitas kota) yang diadakan seminggu sekali di Marne. Mamie bercerita, dia bisa macam-macam tarian: tango, waltz, tap dance... dan beliau tanya, "kamu bisa nari apa nak?"
Waduh. Gubrak.
Kalian tau kan, melihat aku nari adalah salah satu hal paling menyedihkan di muka bumi ini???
hehehehe....

Di sepanjang perjalanan pulang aku dan Jeff menemukan satu kesimpulan; hobi-hobi yang dijalani para cucu mamie kebanyakan berasal dari faktor genetik.
Selama ini ortu Jeff selalu bingung kenapa Mag, adik Jeff, suka banget ke diskotik. Dilihat dari faktor genetik, kita nemu garis merahnya. Mamie dan Papie suka ke Ball, which is, the very old version of a discotheque.
Nggak heran kalo cucu perempewinya sekarang juga suka dugem...hahaha...

Jeff dan Papa suka fotografi. Yah, nggak heran lah, Papie juga suka..
Jeff suka koleksi model miniatur dan foto pesawat. Kamarnya penuh model pesawat, bahkan lemari pajangannya sampai ngga muat lagi. Ternyata Papie juga dari dulu suka nonton aeroshow, dan foto pesawat koleksinya ada dimana-mana di seluruh rumah.

So guys, kalau hari ini kalian ngerasa ada kebiasaan atau hobby aneh yang kalian punya, don't worry. Bisa jadi itu juga faktor genetik!

Healing, Hoping

A friend came from Jakarta. His name is Agung. We were finalists of SCTV's competition in 2003 and 2004. In his SMS he said that he wanted to talk a lot, and he asked me to came to his uncle's house in Police Academy residential area at 7 p.m.I admit that during the competition we never always mocked at each other. He always called me "miss shading", because I need many shading to hide my chubby cheeks and little nose. At the other side, I always call him "mr. beauty salon", because he brought complete make up like lipstick, face powder, eyeshadow and eyebrow pencil! :)) I won the 1st place in Semarang in 2004, and he was the 2nd. Later he worked for Trijaya FM Jakarta, my old radio network before Female....

So, that nite I went to the police academy. It was the 1st time for me to see the academy from inside, and it was...very impressive. I've never thought that inside that large complex is a beautidul place with big houses for generals inside.

I was more surprised when I arrived at his uncle's home. So many people! Later Agung explained that his uncle is blessed with the ability to cure people... and he has that service for free, for any people from any cities and religions...even he has travelled around the world, giving that blessed service to people in all over Indonesia, Asia, America, also in Europe: Belgium, Italy and Netherland...

Harry is the name of the uncle.
A very dedicated Catholic, and I could see how friendly he was to everybody, even he has just came back from Jakarta 30 minutes before.

Then, I started to feel emotional. There was a 1,5 year-old baby who suffered from a cancer at his arm. He was very small, only 1,4 kg, his face was very innocent but he and cried cried... as his arm is swelling so big. There were also some people suffer from heart disease, uterus and breast cancer, a little girl with hypothallamus (extra-big head), a little boy who almost blind... couples who get married for more than 5 years who expect to get pregnant, also, a Chinese doctor who was paralyzed, but now can walk... all of them were suffering, but from their eyes I could see that they had big hope to feel better...They came not only from Semarang, but there were 5 couples from Jakarta, alsi some people from east and west Java, Borneo, Bali...
I've never seen anything like that place before, and I've never thought that my friend, Agung, involved in that holy service... he was 1 of 4 singers who sang many praise songs during the service.

The uncle welcomed me warmly, and he let me sit next to the altar. It was the first time for me joining a Catholic service, including the bible reading, prayers and songs... I felt weird for the first minutes, but then, I felt so touched to see how faithful were the people there when they prayed...

Many of us cried, maybe they cried to realize how sad it is to suffer that way.... but I cried to realize that the people around me suffered more than me, but they tried all efforts to continue their life. I'm ashamed. My suffers is nothing compared to the suffer of a father who came with a 5 year-old autis boy... he kept on saying, "I would be very happy if my son could say 'Papa'..." :(( oh...

After the prayers, one by one were asked to lay on the carpet. Then Mr. Harry came to them, praying, and touching them, saying "Oh, Holy spirit, touch us...."I cried too many times to see the whole process...

The couples who expected the babies were asked to lay down side by side, holding hands to his wife/husbands. You know, I saw so much love between them. They were holding hands with LOVE and fait. They believed that what God has brought together couldn't be broken by anything... in that way, I do love Catholic marriage principal. Learning to love and having real commitment... not leaving even we're in difficult times, for any reason, even if they don't have babies...

The boy with cancer cried aloud, but after Mr. harry touched him, he calmed down, his face was peaceful.Then a woman with uterus cancer...

I didn't believe that kind of spiritual treatment before, but with my eyes I could see that magic happened. The swell got smaller, the pain gone only after some touch and prayers...
Agung said that Mr. Harry is blessed with an ability to see holy lights, catch it and deliver it to the suffering people's body...After that, an assistant splashed holy water that has been blessed by the Pope, and they were asked to pray.

Again I saw many love, hopes and faith around. Love of parents... I saw the mother of almost blind boy cried when she prayed after the holy touch procession... I saw husbands embracing their wives when they prayed to get babies soon...and they cried together in front of the altar... oh....

The most amazing was the autistic boy. He was very ignorant of everything around, but after the healing procession, he smiled, he hugged mr. Harry, and said, "Maria...Maria..."everybody was amazed. He couldn't say 'Papa', but he called Maria? (in Indonesia we call mother Mary as Maria...)

Mr. Hary finished with all patients at midnight. At that time, all his assistants already knowing me... there was no religion border... the Catholic singers sang songs to praise Jesus, and the Muslim musicians played the piano and guitar with all their heart.The suffered people ranged from babies to grannies...and they prayed in their own faith....It was beautiful and touching to see that kind of miracle.

I wish that they will live better life later, and I'm very grateful that Agung showed me a beautiful part of life: GIVING-LOVING-CARING, and, HOPING, with a sincere faith to the power of God...

Many people suffer more than us, but they stand stronger... Why can't we?

Tie The Red Ribbon


It's the story from AIDS Day 2005....


I went to join AIDS Day campaign with a group of Semarang Community that concerns on HIV/AIDS Prevention at 1 to 6 p.m. This afternoon was very hot and humid, however, there were some volunteers from USA, Belgium and Netherland who joined that activity with their big enthusiasm. They join a work camp held by my work camp organization, IIWC, and since November 27 they have been having some activities dealing with HIV/AIDS prevention campaigns in my hometwon.

Yesterday we had a seminar with university students, and today we broke the national record. We made the biggest HIV/AIDS awareness red-ribbon formation, with a total of 2.664 volunteers, all wearing red on the city square. Feel good to be involved! I have been joining AIDS prevention campaign since I was teenager, and it's always amazing to see the number of people who get infected year by year...

In Indonesia, there are already around 3800 HIV+ cases and 3600 AIDS... When I joined the campaign in 1998, it was only around 1500 HIV+ and less than 1000 AIDS... it's really growing, but thank God, there are also more people aware and do some efforts to fight it.
Another interesting thing that I find from today's activity is the fact that there are more people become more open about their life. There was a group of gay community, also some prostitutes joined the campaign. I also met a nice prostitute, who was very open... and I was amazed by her story...
She's only 22 year old. She was studying theology, almost became a Christian priest, but she needed money to fund her foster children! She was from Palembang (a little town in Sumatra), but 1 year ago decided to come to Semarang, becoming prostitute in SK, a prostitution area in Semarang. She said that she does this job to get big money in a short time, saving it, then leave prostitution to start a business and get the money in the right way for her children....oh, life is so ironic...
But it's amazed me to hear how much she can earn: as a call girl, she gets Rp. 1.500.000 for 4 hours dating with a customer! But as a prostitute in SK, she earn Rp. 100.000 for 1 hour... really easy money... no wonder that it's like a perfect shortcut for someone in need, as in Semarang, the average monthly income is Rp. 500.000. (please don't get surprised : it's only around 45 euros!)
As a call girl, she specializes in serving foreigners, mostly Europeans and Chinese, ... I really wonder how she does it, as her English is terrible...
Another shocking confession was, she still want to be back as a Chistian Priest after she's been economically settled! Ah... really, we never be able to guess, how life is.... and what are people dreams. Thoughts of religions, sins... I'm thinking, which one God will prefer? a prostitute who works for orphans, or somenone rich but never cares for others?
Sometimes I think that it's my destiny to meet amazing people, to have unusual experiences, to have not so ordinary life... I am lucky, blessed, or I don't know, but I think God gave me opportunity to always learn other sides of life. I always wonder how people can talk to me so honestly, like explaining the whole of their life, only in the first 1 hour after I started the conversation...
And as for that girl, she invited me to her home in SK, she said that she likes me, and would like to give me a pearl necklace that she made.I can feel that she needs a friend, and I can feel that she's a sincere and lovingful person...

Hum... again, I'm amazed to find my very colorful life. I meet colorful people, so much. I think that's a way I can learn more about a life.