Saturday, January 14, 2006

Sebuah pertemuan kembali.

Starbux dimana gitU, terSerah si, yang pRaktis buat lu aja. Belanja dimana?

Sender:
+336171****
12/01/06
21.03




Aku menatap jauh ke luar bingkai kaca dari sebuah kedai hangat berlantunkan melodi pasifis. Angin dingin menisik kulit mereka disana. Kafe yang dilambangkan dengan seorang "ratu" duyung dalam lingkaran hijau itu telah dipilih, untuk kedua kalinya bagiku, menjadi tempat pertemuan riil antara dua teman maya.

Kini aku tak lagi tahu apabila angin tetap berhembus diluar sana.

Perlahan, tubuhku tak perlu lagi meringkuh melawan dingin, dan aku pun menanggalkan mantel hitamku. Hembusan angin kencang yang searah kini tak lebih dari tontonan belaka dari balik mataku yang jenaka.

Heran, aku yang baru saja merasakannya kini hanya dapat bersimpati hampa pada mereka. Ya, setidaknya aku bersimpati, lebih dari sekedar berempati dan berandai-andai seakan tahu.

Kami tidak sempat berbincang lama. Aku telah lelah mengikuti langkah kakiku sendiri beberapa jam sebelum pertemuan, dan sebagian diriku menyesalinya. Satu hal yang ia tanyakan padaku adalah mengapa aku kini lebih sering menulis dalam bahasa Inggris disini. Aku tersentak menyadari hal yang telah lama aku sadari. Dan itulah alasan mengapa aku menulis dalam Bahasa Indonesia sekarang.

Aku tak tahu apakah ini suatu perubahan permanen atau sekedar menyisipi sebagian dari identitas nasionalku dalam halaman maya yang, mungkin dan mungkin tidak, lebih dari itu.

Selamat datang kembali dalam dunia mayaku.

Monday, January 02, 2006

One New Year's Eve


My handphone tuned its instrumental melody as my LCD identified a friend's number.

"Mi! You at home?"
"Heyy.. yup. What's up?"
"Hmm wanna watch a movie tomorrow?"
"But it's new year's eve tomorrow."
"...The afternoon."
"Oh. Right. Hmm..."
"Come on..."
"Hmm..."
"I've got free tickets."
"Oh! Should've told me earlier."
"..."
"Hihihi"
"So, that's a yes?"


That was how my "adventure" was planned to start on the 31st of December. After having a nice lunch in one of my favourite oriental restaurants with my brothers (the place was closed on my birthday when we originally wanted to "celebrate"), I went to meet my friend at the cinema.
After watching Saw II and still shivering (both the cold and "ending"), we killed time at haagen dazs before making our way to the embassy.

Actually, at first there was the idea of spending new year's eve with friends from college instead of this friend from out of school. Yet there were no clear plans, and cafes in student area Luxembourg means going quite a way back home in the darkness, alone, since none of them take the same metro line. So, after cancelling it to them, I no longer was in the mood to celebrate the digital change of year. However, nobody was home, my brothers have both gone to the embassy. Hence, I went too.

Although their vocal abilities are great, the show held there were pretty much stale.

At 23.30, my friends and I walked to Trocadero and joined the other hundreds of people there, viewing the Eiffel tower straight on. I was exactly where I was last year.

Surprising to some, but yes, there were no official fireworks by the Eiffel. Like any other year.
Let me put it this way, there were more empty bottles of alcoholic drinks than fire crackers of any sort. The Eiffel Tower twinkled its magnificent Swarovkis-like-lights, and the celebration atmosphere heated then.

We managed to make our way out of the crowd with great difficulties (I didn't know human-beings can literally block you from getting through) and walked back to the embassy. From there, I made my way home, alone.

"Is it OK for you to go home alone?"
"Sure. Don't worry."
"..."
"I'll be okay."
"Call me when you get home."