Showing posts with label memories. Show all posts
Showing posts with label memories. Show all posts

Saturday, November 24, 2012

The Land of (Some People's) Dream

"A remarkable experience or staying in your comfort zone? "
Life once asked me.
No need to ask,
I chose a remarkable experience.

World Folkloriada 2012 was the answer.
All folk performers from all around the world gathered in one prestigious festival.
Dancers, musicians, traditional culinary chefs.
I never was a dancer. Yet there I was. Performing.

Located in the largest festival area I've ever been to,
you could find almost anything.
Turkish ice cream? Check. Wiener sausage? Check.
Bibimbap? Clearly check.
Now let's get lost in the World Folk Market.

Rise and shine.
Brighter than the sun.

This fountain changed colors.
Red to blue to green to yellow to white to purple.
We never had enough of it.

Forget tying your wish to a balloon & let it fly.
Write your wish & tie them at this bridge instead.

It was Traditional Game Day.
"Lompat Karet" was what we decided to play.
Who would think we'd be attracting many people to play with?
Here is the Tahitian teenager with his impressive skill.
Jump jump, tiger.

Spread your wings and fly away..
Or in this case,  spread the fabric attached to your costume.
And strike a pose.

Can't hardly remember all of these Korean food's name.
All I know is Kimchi, which taste doesn't really suit me.

Matchum Land.
The land of hope,
of dream,
of joy,
of love,
of laugh.
The land which would surely be missed.

I never was a dancer. Yet there I was. Performing.
I never was a dancer. Yet people knew me as one.
I never was a dancer. Yet I danced in the biggest folklore
festival a real folk dancer could only dream of.
I never was a dancer.
But maybe, at that time, and at some other time,
I probably was.


Thursday, June 14, 2012

Come Together, Go Beyond

Every journey has its own way of beginning.
For us, it all started here..

The home we were soon to leave...only for a moment.
A moment of life, a moment of joy, a moment of self-actualization.
A moment of experience.
A life-changing experience.


 Did I say we traveled 8416 miles?
Thousands of miles away from the ones we love
Thousands of miles away from the ones who truly care about us.
Or thousands of miles away from our comfort zone?
Oh well..

 Maple Maple in the sky,
How I wonder..wait! There you are!
Just a few above me.
There you are; waving.




Down to the downtown. Here we go.

International recognition is one of the greatest way to
make you love your alma mater more.
Doesn't it feel good knowing that they once typed
your university's name?
And thankfully they weren't typo?


Dear friends,
Once you get older,
Just remember we were once sitting together
and be the witnesses of the magnificence of this Orpheum Theater.




 Welcome to Canada Place.
A place where you can see the outstanding, natural view of this city.
A place where you can feel the fresh air of coast and mountains.
All offered at the same time.


Moderated caucus. Unmoderated caucus.
Working Paper(s). Draft Resolution(s).
All happened in this room.


"All countries in favor please raise your placard."


Hey, my convention center has a backyard.
Wanna see?



"Universitas Padjadjaran Delegation for World Model United Nations 2012"
One of the best teams I have ever been a part of.





"Cause baby we are fireworks. Come on show 'em what we got."
Firework party as part of a closing has never failed me.
And there, we were once watching this together.

"Work hard, play harder"

The conference might have come to an end,
but who says our journey, too?




Do you remember
when was the last time you cannot decide which way to go?
Me neither.


Cause in the end,
everything, every man with every breath taken,
to the nature we will always come to as our final destination.

There is always space for creativity.
Even in the cleanest park, the Stanley Park.

Yes, we need more.
...
Oh, and with no Bieber.


This is home.
Where else you expect you can find
rendang, soto, tekwan and anything all together in one place?
This place and its people has the best hospitality I have ever found.

Have I said I was first-timer to snow?
Well, nothing is as white as snow.
Not even Marilyn Monroe's legendary white dress.





Where do you think you should go 
when no matter which direction your feet take you to
can only provide you more beauty of the nature?



It was St. Patrick's Day on March 17.
A day before we left the city.
Celebration was everywhere. City parade down the streets.
Make sure you wear your best green outfit.


The old Gastown offers night lights anyone can never resist.
One of the places I would like to visit again.


And the last place we visited was...
Capilano Suspension Bridge!
The place which had been on my list since the first day I was announced
as one of the delegates.
And I made it there!










With every step taken,
and every 'turbulence' the bridge made,
Acrophobia has surely never been on my list.
The more 'turbulences' made, the happier I was.


Again, natural beauty.
Take a deep breath and enjoy the fresh air,
shall we?

Well,
Every journey has to come to an end.
With the thousands of miles we've taken,
every happy face captured in pictures,
every cent we've spent,
every lost-in-the-city we've experienced,
every single thing, in the end, was made only for us to understand.
To understand that there is so much bigger life out there.
The bigger life waiting for us to discover.
And once we've discovered it,
just remember,
that this team was once a part of your life.
"Come together, go beyond."

Monday, January 2, 2012

One Year In One Post

2011 has passed. This is too fast. I remember the excitement of Bali getaway, birthday bashes, the ups and downs, the failure, the farewells, the second chances, the jokes, the rumbles.. All memories seem to be clear like crystal.
I'd love to see what happens next but when it means growing up... If only I could choose to stay forever young.
Cause youth knows no pain.














 








Goodbye, 2011. Thanks for the bittersweet memories.
Welcome, 2012. Please surprise me in a good way.