Travelling

I like travelling. I like to see the world. I like to explore new things and experience different unique locality things, especially from different part of the world. It’s always exciting to travel somewhere (especially new places that I never been there), find information on any interesting place to be visit or any interesting things to do, trying new meal, observe the map, walking around, watching local people doing things and talk, trying local public transport, taste the drink, buying small token, going to the market, feel the air and atmosphere, and feel great about the place and myself.

I’m not rich. I don’t have extra money from our living allowance for travelling by luxury. But I do search for opportunities to travel – to other cities, inside or outside my country.

So the beauty of travelling is if we are not really 'paying' it – or in other word, someone or some other modalities support the funding for us, so we only need to take limited amount from our saving. This means travelling as backpacker or ‘in a shoe string’ is fine’. E.g. with low budget airfare, having brunch for saving, staying in friend/relative’s place, or sleeping in night train/bus. A good travelling plan is important in this case, such as budget, booking/choice of accommodation, tentative itinerary, ticket etc.

Lucky me, I got scholarship to study in Netherlands in around 2000, which means access for travelling around some West European countries; and I got a job at ASEC – which include opportunity for servicing meeting in Southeast Asia countries or even its Dialogue Partner countries. Well, not pure lucky coz I do work, try and plan hard for both.

I thank my good travelling friends in Europe who accompany me, help in providing many useful info and tips, and friends who offered us their place to stay. Glad to have friend like my long-time friend Andi, with his “Lonely Planet – Europe on a Shoe String”, with his spirit to travel and initiative for searching on transport, accommodation etc., being not only good friend but also good travel mate. Thanks my husband Arief who is very supportive with my life/study/work/travel plans from then till now, and a wonderful travelling in California, Las Vegas, Italy, Paris, Monaco, Nice and Netherlands. Too bad I couldn’t follow you travel to Hong Kong and Japan.

Somewhat travelling (sponsored) by study and travelling (sponsored) by work is different. While study, we have luxury of time (as long as in holiday and free time) and to plan the itinerary. Travelling as sideline of works means free of good accommodation and air ticket, but very limited time and option on the places to visit and see. Almost often, we only went around the hotel or even inside the hotel :). And of course, the demand and stress from work are always there, which often affect excitement to enjoy the travel.

Too many mission from work and the tight schedule of travelling broad not always convenience. You know what, within one month from now backwards, I have been travelling to 4 (four) countries! And all not continuous, but include came back and departed again from Jakarta.

Starting 25th August: Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) – Jakarta – Manila (Philippines) – Jakarta – Bandar Sri Begawan (Brunei Darussalam) – Jakarta – Amsterdam & Maastricht, (Netherlands). Just guess how many days I was in Jakarta, and how many days I was on the way. Sure I was exhausted, especially each of them of course need not only personal preparation for travelling, but inevitably are the bunch of meetings preparation and reporting and follow up…. Means paper works, coordination, tense :( Even now I still wonder how could I went through all that and still survive, hehe..

Above: (1) Manila Bay, (2) Central Market, KL,
Below: (3) Mesjid previous Sultan, Bandar Sri Begawan, (4) Local public transport in Yangon, Myanmar.

And sure, I have to left my Tabina… She must be wondering about what this one mother is doing. Even when I was in Jakarta I always came home late coz of these work stuffs. And I really thank her of being fine and okay taking all this. As usual, she is very cool and adorable. Never cry, think and act positively, very active and outstandingly understand me! Gee, how a baby toddler can do like that. Like I said, she is very cool baby, if I were a baby, she’s the kind of baby friend that I want to be close with. During my mission to Brunei, her babysitter had to be back to her hometown, so Tabina then had to go on mission to her grandparents in Bandung.

I always told her where is the place I’m going to travel every time I went on mission. She knew for example that this time I’m going to Cambodia, other time to Malaysia and so on.

If someone asked or teased her,”Tabina, Ibu pergi ke Bangkok ya?”
”Eh bukan bukan, Ibu ke Mianmal (baca: Myanmar)!!”

”Tabina, Ibu pergi ke mana sih?”
”Ke Malaysa”
”Ibu ke Malaysia ngapain?”
”Ibu kerja!” - hm rite, someone who's listening may think Tabina’s mum going there as TKI :) (well indeed I am ya, hehe)

Tabina love to read and look at books. When I was in Brunei, in Bandung my sister Dita read her a child story book about fruit.
”Aku buah durian. Aku berasal dari Kamboja, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Philipina,…”
”Hihihi… Iiih, kayak Ibu ya!” – kyaaa…. Waa Tabinaaaa!! :D

When I came back home, then she said “Ibu kayak buah durian!”

And yes, now I’m in Maastricht, southern Netherlands, for few weeks for training course - also supported by a fellowship. As usual, when I told Tabina I’m going to Netherlands and she will be stay at home with her father and others, she looks not happy, try to hide her worries, not crying and show understanding although it does appears that it is not easy for her. And she knows this time Netherlands is my destination.

This time we took her to airport to see me depart. At the airport, she likes sitting with trolley, as sometimes she came to pick me up after coming back from mission. When I proceed to the gate for boarding and immigration checking and taking the trolley with me, she complained:
”Ibu, keretanya jangan dibawa ke Belanda! Aku kan mau duduk main disitu!” :)

(Can we interpret that it’s okay for Ibu to go to Netherlands as long as Ibu doesn’t bring the trolley? Hehe…)

Tabina, one day I will take you with me travelling and exploring the world…