03.02.2004 - Journey of Fast Numbers and Cars
   Then, after the rest, we moved on. We went to Bursa Efek Jakarta (BEJ) to watch how the whole stock market system works. It was somewhat boring, though the speaker was quite funny, and my friends were very rowdy that they asked harsh questions to the speaker. The only interesting part in this journey was to see the trading floor, the place where they got that huge electronic board with the numbers of stock prices and values and all. We think it was cool.

From BEJ, the journey moved on to Plaza Senayan. We were planned to be there from 4 p.m to 9 p.m, but as there was nothing there, we grow bored and we left by 7 p.m back to the hotel. Okay, there were many branded stores there but overall the mall was no fun and too small. All that was fun there was the game centre, because there were eight Daytona II machines that could be linked together. So, we made some kind of a tournament play, and because we can play eight persons at once, it was fun and challenging, overtaking everywhere at every turns, nooks and crannies. Shouts and curses can be heard everytime there was an overtaking, or someone hit the wall. We got some free tickets from the tour leaders, so we could play as much as we wanted.

Back to the hotel, the dark started to crawl upon us. As it was not late already (still around 8 p.m), some guys wanted to try looking for 'night pleasure and entertainment'. Well, if you've read Jakarta Undercover, then you'll know that Jakarta is the right place to do that, as this city has the abundance of those forbidden things. At that time, I was depressed, so actually I am the one who first suggested the idea of looking for those. But later on that night, my roommate asked me whether I was serious to do that. I answered him that I was serious, and we have planned to do it the next day. Suddenly, my friend told me that it is no use for me to seek pleasure from the world, as it will pain the heart of God. I was surprised, I never expected this friend of mine to be a religious kind of person, but it turned out that he is a strong person of God from a large church in my town. We read the Bible and looked for verses to support me, and we also prayed to God for strength, so that I would not fall into the dark.

It was a blessed night. Not only did I meet another fellow man of Christ, but we also managed to do a faith sharing to the other roommate (my room was inhabited by three, including me). He is a Christian, yes, but he still have some questions about God and salvation, and his understanding was to be heightened that night. He didn't understand yet about faith by grace, good works not to be saved but because already saved, and other things that basically every Christian need to know. So we continued our sharing, discussion and prayer that started about 10 p.m, to 1 a.m in the morning. After we finished, we were very tired and sleepy, and we know that we must wake up around 5.30 a.m because we must leave at 8 a.m, so by that time we must have finished bathing and eating. We prayed to God to give us new strength for us to be able to fly on as eagles (Isaiah 40:31a).

We slept peacefully that night, only I was thinking, that on the very day, I will have to make a decision. To follow the dark, or to follow the light. I prayed and hoped that I will prevail. I will have to make a stand. I will not lose.

- To be continued in Chapter III : A Stand Towards Heavens -


••• Friday, February 13, 2004 •••
So then the journey started. The one hundred people were divided into three buses. I was on the third bus. We departed by midday (12 p.m) and the journey was estimated to take about 18 hours. Off we go then, happily as ever, some watching the Pearl Harbour movie that was played on the bus' VCD player, some playing Cap Sa, and some just talking to each other. I preferred to watch the Pearl Harbour movie, as I never watch that one before. Time flies so fast in the beginning, but later on, we were bored, and time slowed down before us. Around 4 p.m, we were bored and tired, so we just slept.

The next hours were spent without any significant thing happening. The bus just went on the path towards Jakarta, stopping every two or three hours to let us stretch our bodies and go to the restrooms. About 7 p.m we were all hungry, but the restaurant designated for our dinner was still afar, so we started opening our packs and eat some snacks, crackers, biscuits, wafers, all that we can eat for the moment. At 9 p.m we finally arrived at the designated restaurant, but grief, as we were on the third bus, we arrived the most late. When we entered the dining room, the people from bus one have finished eating and the people from bus two have taken their dinner and were eating. It was a buffet-style dinner, so there were nothing much left for us from bus three to eat -_-. We just scraped and scavenged whatever were left on the buffet plates, and we ate a dinner NOT to our hearts' content (and also NOT to our stomach's contents). There was nothing else we can do but to move on again.

So the journey continued, and this time we went on in darkness, as we opted to turn off the lights in the bus so that we could sleep. But as the bus driver was rash and reckless, we couldn't get a good rest. The bus swerved left and right, sometimes halting to a sudden stop to make a loud screech from the tires. There were three times that we almost had an accident, almost ramming two cars and one truck. We could only sleep two or three hours before we woke up again, and the sleep was not good, our necks and our backs were very strained, but we had to endure it. Finally, about 7 a.m we arrived at the IBIS Mangga Dua Hotel in Jakarta. We rested a little and packed our belongings to our rooms. We could not rest for long, because on 11 a.m we had to go on again...

- To be continued in Chapter II : Darkened Days -


••• Thursday, February 12, 2004 •••
09.02.2004 - Car Fixed Just In Time
      Do you remember that a few weeks ago I posted about my broken car which needed Rp. 38 millions for the repairs on the automatic transmission? Well, the warranty claim has been fulfilled and my car has been repaired free of charge. The repair was finished yesterday, just in time because today I had to go to my campus to do class registration for the next semester. It's running smooth now, and I have tried to drive it up to 100 kph with no problems, though now I drove it real careful, not hitting the gas fully for a sudden drag like before. So, no sudden acceleration, and don't try anything funny. If I do that, maybe the car can hold on for another two or three years.

10.02.2004 - June Accepted In Petra's Communications Major
      Yup, yup, this is great news indeed. Although she said that the entrance test was hard and she just left about 20-30 questions blank, she managed to pass it and now she has been granted admission with the lowest entrance fee for her major (you have to pay more if your test results are bad... I, Mee-a and June agreed to take the lowest fee, which needed about 80% or higher on the test to pass, June was afraid and we almost chose the 2nd lowest fee, but in the end we stick to our decision, and yes, God worked with it). She's still thinking about whether to take it or not, because she's also thinking about studying in Jakarta, but at least, with this one ensured, she can ease off a little and be relieved. Ciayoo, little sister! I'm sure you can do it... =) And don't worry about the tuition fees, if Father has put you in the Communications Major, He'll lead you to the end of your study.

Special Notes For A Special Sister!
      Ciayoo, Mee! Come back soon, okay? We all need you, I need you and June needs you. Surrender all your problems to God. We all have problems, I have a big one last night, but I'll get through it with God. Lift up yourself!


••• Tuesday, February 10, 2004 •••
I have returned from the city of darkness, Jakarta, where the dark grows by each and every day. I went there without my spiritual protections. I did not pray nor read the Bible while I was there. The lure of the dark was almost too tempting to bear. My friends have been caught in the trap they called the "Jakarta Undercover". They went each and every night, seeking for the pleasure of men and night 0entertainments. I was dragged deep. I was on the brink of entering the door of darkness. Yet, I was saved. The hold broke loose just one step away from the gate. Now I must crawl again to the place where I was, to the place of light I knew.

Alas, I did not meet any friend there. I did not have any means of contact with them. The only ones I have contact with were TrueGossiper and Pau. Yet, I did not manage to meet them as we have our own different plans. So I went on, and encountered another friends by the fourth day. They were not from the 2kGenerations or Bloggers community, but from the place where I once belonged to, VideoGamesIndonesia.com. I encountered the boss Rickel and his bro Santa, the ex-Ultima Cross Head Editor Koichan, the now-short-haired Sadako, master Console, fellow gamers Zero and Sanny and many more. We had a really good time conversing through the whole night.

Then I returned on the fifth day to my hometown, bringing some things for my sisters, Mee-a and June. Later that night, I went with June to Mee's workplace and took her with us to the Kampoeng Steak cafe. We shared our feelings after we have not seen each other for a week. I'm really glad to be home again, and to know that there are still some people who will await my return. I was on a state of despair last week, I was broken down, and I was planning not to return. But yeah, those sisters kept pulling me back, so now here I am. Back on the place where I belong, along with my loving two sisters, my family, and my friends. This is my home... where I belong.

But the story does not end here. Later I will tell you more about the details of my journey in the City of Darkness...


••• Sunday, February 08, 2004 •••