I have several friends during these 10 years that always spend time together. We all are people who took a French class at CCF before. It was in 1999, when I took a French language class at CCF in Kebayoran Baru. I intended to learn French since I need to have my second international language after English. Besides, French sounds so sexy. When you hear someone speak French, they will move every part of their faces. When the lips move sexily, their eyes will approve what lips say. When we say ‘no’ or ‘yes” in English, we can say it flat, but when we say ‘non’ or ‘ui’ in French, feel like my lips and eyes are working together. I am hoping, if I speak French well, I will look a bit sexier.
By the way, the language - that I think - gives the speaker no gesture is German. When I was I in Stuttgart, I went to a local castle. The guide spoke German, though I learned German during high school and but all I remember about the language is only “Ich liebe dich”. The guide made a joke, everyone was laughing. I said nothing as I saw him as a talking mannequin. No smile. No head movement. No gesture at all. What a stiff person.
Back to CCF. I first arrived in Mimma’s class. A young teacher who now works for the French embassy. I had several classes afterwards, but I ended to move back to Mimma’s class. I liked the way Mimma thought and I like her too. She is the most fun person I’ve ever known. When she is around, things will cheer up. When teaching, she played around and made learning a language became a fun thing. There was also another teacher who likes to teach us how to make French cuisines. But on top of that, I have great friends from CCF.
When I have long week end, I often ask my friends from CCF to join me exploring the nature and some are national parks. Way Kambas NP, Pulau Seribu NP, Karimun Jawa NP, Bali Barat NP, Bromo Tengger Semeru NP, Baluran NP, Kapoposang Recreation park, and many others such as exporing Lombok island. Many interesting memories we had together. I, Titis and Yance with several other friends, dived in the beautiful and clean water of Kapoposang, spent over night and had a fish as big as a baby. We barbequed it by using sea water as the ingredient. When I, Titis, Betti and Tantri went to explore Lombok island (see the picture), we ate “plecing” or leafy vegetable every day. When we could not tell the different between dogs and monkeys, we believed that because of the chemical compound of plecing that influenced our consciousness, as we ate it too much. When I and Mimma went to Karimun Jawa NP, we swam naked on the beach and the sensation was superb! Those are only a few memories that we shared together. There are a lot more !!
Our next destinations are Raja empat and Wakatobi NP. But due to my chaotic financial situation at the moment, let me finish my study first then we can have fun again. The good impact of my hobby to explore the nature is encouraging others to manage other trips. Many of them with other friends, managing several trips to Ujung Kulon NP, Ujung Genteng and others. Even Betti, Bambang and others start to travel all over the world. If you need any information about the cheap packages to different countries, ask Betti. Not only traveling, birthday party for a dinner at different restaurants is our moment to see each other. After the dinner we often move to other coffee house to finish the party. I shared my birthday party with Betti, and since Betti has many kinds of credit cards, normally I will find any restaurant that give 50% discount rate for a dinner. That’s something for a student like me, as still we split the bill afterwards. Though I could only eat at certain restaurants at the moment, but I’m glad that my friends comprehend my weaknesses.
In one period in CCF, when the class finished, sometime I and several others continued the class to a local café. Or to my renting place close to CCF at that time, for a cup of coffee or having evening meals. It was a day when I had a class mate who was a hooker. She went there because her boyfriend wanted her to speak French. I make friends with everyone. As long as they are nice to me, I will be nice to them too. I was touched when she said to us that it was the first time for her to have normal friends. I wonder how bad people were treated her. To prove my friendship, she took me to the places where she worked. Tanahmur at Tanah Abang, Jalan Jaksa, some discothèques, where most of her customers were foreigners. I didn’t change my mind. She is still my friend. For me, life is about making a choice. Some people are fortunate enough to make a good life, but some are trapped in long unavoidable misfortunes. Although she graduated from a university, drugs, bad divorce, loosing the only child and family problems were the things that dragged her to become a hooker.
One day she gave me a call wondering whether she had to take a job as a secretary. I encouraged her to take the opportunity, hoping that she would have a better life. I and several friends were also accompanied her in an in interview to become a manager at a local cafe. Good things came to her, more and more. She took an interview with Singapore airlines, and she got the job. Nowadays, she is a customer manager of Singapore airlines in one country somewhere on this globe. I lost contact with her when I lost my cell phone again (it is about 10 times now).
See how her life is changing. I’m learning a lot from her. I’m learning that we have no reason to look down the others. I knew her first as a hooker, the lowest status in our society, even some people are allergic to them. Now she is someone important in Singapore airlines, where only a few people have the quality for her position. We never know how God manages someone’s life. All we can do just appreciating the others and help when we can. Because someone who might has a lower status than us now, perhaps in the future will become someone who will rescue your life.
Everyone needs friends. There will be no life if we have no friends. But it is up to us to whom we make friends. If I have to make a choice between a fancy girl, live in an apartment, but she lies a lot and likes to compete for everything, and a nice hooker that we can spend time together, laughing at the corner of a restaurant, I choose the hooker as my friend. I could not stand with someone who lies a lot and unconsciously betrays the friendship. Whoever they are, because sincerity is something important for me in a friendship. When I have good friends, I love them and I feel that they love me too. And I hope our friendship will last forever.
By the way, the language - that I think - gives the speaker no gesture is German. When I was I in Stuttgart, I went to a local castle. The guide spoke German, though I learned German during high school and but all I remember about the language is only “Ich liebe dich”. The guide made a joke, everyone was laughing. I said nothing as I saw him as a talking mannequin. No smile. No head movement. No gesture at all. What a stiff person.
Back to CCF. I first arrived in Mimma’s class. A young teacher who now works for the French embassy. I had several classes afterwards, but I ended to move back to Mimma’s class. I liked the way Mimma thought and I like her too. She is the most fun person I’ve ever known. When she is around, things will cheer up. When teaching, she played around and made learning a language became a fun thing. There was also another teacher who likes to teach us how to make French cuisines. But on top of that, I have great friends from CCF.
When I have long week end, I often ask my friends from CCF to join me exploring the nature and some are national parks. Way Kambas NP, Pulau Seribu NP, Karimun Jawa NP, Bali Barat NP, Bromo Tengger Semeru NP, Baluran NP, Kapoposang Recreation park, and many others such as exporing Lombok island. Many interesting memories we had together. I, Titis and Yance with several other friends, dived in the beautiful and clean water of Kapoposang, spent over night and had a fish as big as a baby. We barbequed it by using sea water as the ingredient. When I, Titis, Betti and Tantri went to explore Lombok island (see the picture), we ate “plecing” or leafy vegetable every day. When we could not tell the different between dogs and monkeys, we believed that because of the chemical compound of plecing that influenced our consciousness, as we ate it too much. When I and Mimma went to Karimun Jawa NP, we swam naked on the beach and the sensation was superb! Those are only a few memories that we shared together. There are a lot more !!
Our next destinations are Raja empat and Wakatobi NP. But due to my chaotic financial situation at the moment, let me finish my study first then we can have fun again. The good impact of my hobby to explore the nature is encouraging others to manage other trips. Many of them with other friends, managing several trips to Ujung Kulon NP, Ujung Genteng and others. Even Betti, Bambang and others start to travel all over the world. If you need any information about the cheap packages to different countries, ask Betti. Not only traveling, birthday party for a dinner at different restaurants is our moment to see each other. After the dinner we often move to other coffee house to finish the party. I shared my birthday party with Betti, and since Betti has many kinds of credit cards, normally I will find any restaurant that give 50% discount rate for a dinner. That’s something for a student like me, as still we split the bill afterwards. Though I could only eat at certain restaurants at the moment, but I’m glad that my friends comprehend my weaknesses.
In one period in CCF, when the class finished, sometime I and several others continued the class to a local café. Or to my renting place close to CCF at that time, for a cup of coffee or having evening meals. It was a day when I had a class mate who was a hooker. She went there because her boyfriend wanted her to speak French. I make friends with everyone. As long as they are nice to me, I will be nice to them too. I was touched when she said to us that it was the first time for her to have normal friends. I wonder how bad people were treated her. To prove my friendship, she took me to the places where she worked. Tanahmur at Tanah Abang, Jalan Jaksa, some discothèques, where most of her customers were foreigners. I didn’t change my mind. She is still my friend. For me, life is about making a choice. Some people are fortunate enough to make a good life, but some are trapped in long unavoidable misfortunes. Although she graduated from a university, drugs, bad divorce, loosing the only child and family problems were the things that dragged her to become a hooker.
One day she gave me a call wondering whether she had to take a job as a secretary. I encouraged her to take the opportunity, hoping that she would have a better life. I and several friends were also accompanied her in an in interview to become a manager at a local cafe. Good things came to her, more and more. She took an interview with Singapore airlines, and she got the job. Nowadays, she is a customer manager of Singapore airlines in one country somewhere on this globe. I lost contact with her when I lost my cell phone again (it is about 10 times now).
See how her life is changing. I’m learning a lot from her. I’m learning that we have no reason to look down the others. I knew her first as a hooker, the lowest status in our society, even some people are allergic to them. Now she is someone important in Singapore airlines, where only a few people have the quality for her position. We never know how God manages someone’s life. All we can do just appreciating the others and help when we can. Because someone who might has a lower status than us now, perhaps in the future will become someone who will rescue your life.
Everyone needs friends. There will be no life if we have no friends. But it is up to us to whom we make friends. If I have to make a choice between a fancy girl, live in an apartment, but she lies a lot and likes to compete for everything, and a nice hooker that we can spend time together, laughing at the corner of a restaurant, I choose the hooker as my friend. I could not stand with someone who lies a lot and unconsciously betrays the friendship. Whoever they are, because sincerity is something important for me in a friendship. When I have good friends, I love them and I feel that they love me too. And I hope our friendship will last forever.
Hehehe...Retno... it's so sweet...
ReplyDeleteYou're our best friend forever too!
:-)