60 Things to The One Who Was

001. Him: #simplejoy.

002. Senyumnya serius. #simplejoy.

003. I don't like the feeling when you're not around. I don't like hearing you talk with another girl.

004. Caught someone staring at me then smiled. Oh my goodness!

005. Someone is kind but cruel, smart but lazy.

006. I think you need an ice cube to lower your hotness.

007. That smell still lingers. That smile will be remembered.

008. I crave for you in this new year eve.

009. Can I have you instead of can I help you?

010. God always knows how to put the right person when I'm not in the right mood.

011. A heavy dose of you.

012. It's so funny when you try to make things better. And it seems it's easy for you.

013. A new habit, a new life. But the same you.

014. Oh, this is me talking and I’m going to tell you that I love our three seconds gaze.

015. The sweetest thing comes from your lips. No, not your words or even your kiss. It’s your smile.

016. It’s the pain that makes me love you.

017. Because we're here to complete each other, not to be together. Just like when you need help, I'll be there to help you.

018. I don't understand why someone can be so sweet as candy and so cold as stone at the same time.

019. Do you know how painful it is without talking to you every time we meet?

020. Talking about you, talking about me, and talking about us are awkward. But talking about her? Will never be awkward. Never. Even for me.

021. And it's really hard for me to say, even for a little hello.

022. Thank you for blinding your eyes.

023. Because right now, I don't adore you for who you are. But adore you for who you were.

024. You'll never know how much I hate you this time. Pain changes people, either their feelings.

025. It really surprises me to see you again, the real you. And still, you bring the oh-not-so-good impacts to my life.

026. If we were meant to be, I think our favorite place would be a bookstore. But in a different section, because our cup of tea is different.

027. I don't know whether it's a bad thing or not, but having you in my thought seriously bothers me.

028. You know you’re not my oxygen tank because I still can breathe without you, but you’re my energy tank (what? Sounds so weird? No probs because weird means unique. And if you think that energy is just suitable with drink after that word, I still don’t want to call you my energy drink because I can’t sip you) Maybe you wonder why I call you with that one because everytime I’m with you for doing nothing or just talking a little bit, you always bring back my energy.

029. Every time I spend with you are the times I won't regret.

030. The closer I look into your eyes, the less I see myself in there.

031. Something's missing from you. I don't know which part, but it seriously makes you look unattractive. Same with Andy F. Noya who just lost his curly hair.

032. You turn really cold.

033. Jadi kenangan gue sama lo udah dijual ke tukang ojek?

034. Even your scent stays longer than your presence.

035. Have you ever wonder that maybe your significant other is thinking about the other one she loves and not you?

036. I can’t imagine how miserable your life will be without her. Will you still be the one I know? Will you still be as cheerful as you? Will you still believe in love? Will you? Or you will back to be the one I loved the most? Oh no, it won’t happen because heartbreak never shapes yourself to be the old you. Please still be happy, you. Because I know, in the end, the important thing is knowing that you live your life happily rather than knowing how wistful I’m without you.

037. You're the reason why my brain can't produce dopamine perfectly and continuously.

038. Can we go back to the time when it's okay for us to talk to each other?

039. Teruntuk Seseorang yang Hampir Terjatuh di Tangga Siang Tadi: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Gue mau ketawa aja. Please don’t be angry with me. Remember that I used to laugh at you everytime you did a silly thing, right? Well, tapi gue sebel. Lo nggak hati - hati. Udah berapa tangga yang hampir dijatohin sama lo? Yes. It doesn’t sound so funny. Karena gue juga nggak mau ngelucu. Jatoh dari tangga itu akibatnya banyak. Bahaya. You should walk in a proper way after this, dear friend.

040. Well, I can make you so much happier if you want.

041. Jatuh cintanya gue sama UGM itu kayak jatuh cintanya gue sama doi. Jatuh banget. But I know, I will never get him anyway. Sakit? Iya! Luka? Bisa jadi! Trauma? Nggak. “Kenapa nggak bisa?” Bukannya gue nggak mau usaha, (yes, I’ll work hard and try harder for UGM. Gila kali.) Tapi keliatannya it’s impossible for me to get in, you know. Peluangnya maksud gue kecil. Ya kayak cinta diem - diem aja sih. Apa cinta dari jauh ya? Auk. Dan biarlah keinginan gue mau masuk UGM ini cuma diselipin ke setiap doa gue, kecil - kecil pelan - pelan, tapi semoga yang Besar denger.

042. Come home then love again, love.

043. You're like Jakarta, you're loved as well as you're hated.

044. Can I have your eyes a little while so I could see the things have made you happy for the past year?

045. How can your existence make me so hard to feel the air? And it always requires me to take a long deep breath every time I look at you.

046. I should be happy to know that you’re okay and you’re there, still online on your Skype account, but actually, it hurts me the most because I know I can’t reach you.

047. Even gue udah jauh dari Jakarta dan kaki gue udah nggak napak di permukaan yang sama tingginya kayak elo, you’re still here with me on my mind. Bromo, 2013.

048. We have seen the same sky each day, but why our feelings never could be the same?

049. Congratulation, dear you. For every wish you say. For every effort you do. For every failure you take and for every heartbreak you experience. You’re still the one who keeps your dream on track and finally you did it. A mining engineer, is that you I’m looking for?

050. Maybe meeting you was a mistake because I've found out that actually, I wasn't ready.

051. Even after all this time, you are still the one I prioritize.

052. Kalau ada satu kota yang selalu ingin dikunjungi, mungkin ini kotanya. But sadly, this city got me all the bruises back again.

053. Just so you know that I wish you will always be okay.

054. Because I know, in the end, the important thing is knowing that you live your life happily rather than knowing how wistful I’m without you.

055. You know? Even you give me a thousand pictures to see, there is none who can steal these eyes not to look at you.

056. This time I realize, those happy feelings you made that time could be a reason why you could be this hard to forget.

057. And you, you, always been an issue.

058. And that love is going to disappear.

059. I just want to make sure that I will always be remembered by you.

060. It is time to let go.

--Collected from my old Tumblr and Twitter; 2011 - 2017.

How Blind People Find Love

Photo by Rene Böhmer on Unsplash

When eyes can’t see, other senses play a huge role in loving someone. 

There is a statement out there telling that we can fall in love just by looking at someone—not only for men but also for women. Some would agree, but most of us choose not to—because well, we just don’t want to be judged as a shallow person. I asked some of my friends to validate this statement, I want to know whether it is right or not. One of my friends said that “No, it is not a love we are talking about. It is only lust. We lust after someone at the first sight.” Or another friend of mine said, “Well, I guess it is what we called attraction—not love? We cannot fall in love by just looking at someone.” 

Isn’t it attraction the first phase before going to a further phase—love? 

So, no matter how hard we try to oppose that statement, the truth is, we all know that it is possible for someone to fall in love with a look. The Guardian Lab on one of its article also says that “how we harness the eyes to “create” love has been the subject of decades of scientific study”. Yes, it is true that this topic is also interesting for the scientist, and even science says long gazes into each other’s eyes can form a love connection. 

“There are more neurons in the brain dedicated to vision than the other four senses combined—up to 80% of what our bodies take in is filtered through our eyes. And the eyes are not just windows to the soul, but also to neuron pathways that can form love connections in our brains.” – The Guardian Lab. Here we know that eyes really play a primary part for someone as a way to fall in love. 

Then, there would come a question, what if there is someone who cannot see—the one who is blind or sightless? If he couldn’t see, how can he fall in love? How does love work on him? In what way? Well, to answer those questions, I asked five different blind people with various backgrounds and stories. 

When we talk about love at a sightless couple or maybe a person, we think that they have a different approach to love someone since they cannot use their eyes. But when I asked Mr. Setyo (43 years old—married for 23 years) about this, his answer made me realize something:

“Kalau berbicara soal cinta pada pasangan tunanetra, mata memang tidak bisa jadi patokan kami. Tetapi cinta bekerja dengan cara yang sama. Cinta itu kan dari Tuhan, sifatnya fitrah. Bisa tumbuh di siapa saja.” 

Mr. Setyo, totally blind since he was born, said that love for him actually works the same way as normal people do—from attraction, attachment, then to love itself—though his eyes couldn’t help at all. But then he continued:

“Yang membuat beda itu cara pendekatannya. Orang kayak saya pasti beda dengan orang awas. Karena udah nggak bisa bergantung sama mata, kita pakai (indera) yang lain untuk kenal atau dekat dengan orang.” 

He said that what makes them (the sightless people) different in a way of loving someone is the approach. They approach other people with other senses. Other senses—than eyes—play a huge role to help them in loving someone. Thereupon, those create some factors on how sightless people become attracted to others that lead into love. Here are the factors:

The Tone of Voice and The Way They Communicate 

I asked Mrs. Sarmiyati (41 years old), the wife of Mr. Setyo who was partially blind then becomes totally blind at her teenage year, about the factor why did she fall in love with her husband. With her playful side, she answered:

“Kalau ditanya begini saya bingung, ya udah jodohnya kali. Udah takdir saya suka sama Bapak hahaha.” But not long after that, she continued: “Dari jaman sekolah sampai sekarang, Bapak itu pintar ngomong. Cara bicaranya enak didenger. Mungkin itu salah satu faktornya saya tertarik sama Bapak.”

I couldn’t agree more when Mrs. Sarmiyati told me like that, because it is true that Mr. Setyo is really good at talking. He really has a lot of knowledge and always answers my question in a clear and detailed way. But contrary to his wife belief, Mr. Setyo said that people shouldn’t rely on someone’s tone of voice, especially for the blind people.

“Suara itu tidak menjamin. Ada yang suaranya bagus tapi hatinya belum tentu bagus. Yang terpenting itu bisa menjaga komitmen dan kepercayaan, bukan hanya kata – kata yang keluar dari mulut.” 

Different person, different opinion—though they suffer the same thing. While Mrs. Sarmiyati could agree that the tone of voice can make someone fall in love, her husband, Mr. Setyo disputed it.

Besides the tone of voice, the conversation that is caught by ear also could be a factor for them to fall in love or be interested with someone. Most often in a relationship, communication is a key because good communication leads to a good relationship. Mr. Wawan (41 years old) said that he started to feel a harmony between him and his wife when they start to communicate and turns out she is very nice to talk to.

“Saya ketemu Ibu dulu di belakang Mercubuana. Pertama kali kenal, ngobrol dan ternyata dia enak diajak ngobrol. Dari situ langsung ngerasa ada kecocokan.”

The Intelligence and The Personality
We sometimes fall in love, adore, or be interested with someone who is so smart and bright; the one who knows and have a deep understanding of everything. That is why even now, there is a saying which tells, smart is a new sexy. Well, strongly agree with that. Also, it would be better if the smart ones have good personalities. Such a perfect combination! Well, no wonder those—the brain and the personality—could be factors on how sightless people fall in love as well—we are still human after all.

When it comes to brain and personality, Mr. Setyo confirmed that those things can be a reason for someone—who is sightless—falls in love.

“Saya tertarik dengan istri dari perilakunya. Perilaku yang baik seperti suka membantu kalau ada kesulitan, juga mengerjakan tugas bareng saat sekolah.”

With only two years of gap different, Mr. Setyo chose to tie the knot with his wife at the age of 21 years old while his wife was 19 years old. Now, he lives happily with five children from his marriage.

Besides Mr. Setyo, there is Mrs. Salamah (32 years old—married for 17 years) who also agreed with it. Mrs. Salamah is one of a humorous woman I have ever known. Talking with her is really such a joy—there is always a laugh in every conversation we have. I asked her the reason why she chose her husband, Mr. Maryono, to be her partner for life.

“Dulu waktu di asrama, Bapak sering nolong saya karena saya kan anak baru ceritanya. Bapak itu senior, saya juniornya. Selain baik, saya nilai Bapak orang yang pinter, dari situ deh mulai suka sama Bapak haha.”

Well I guess, it is proven that intelligence and good personality could be a factor that makes people fall in love; for us and for them.

The Feeling of a Different Connection 
Different from his wife, love works distinctly on Mr. Maryono  (41 years old—married for 17 years old). As a husband of Mrs. Salamah, he feels a different or a unique connection towards his wife. He just suddenly feel connected with her.

“Saya ketemu Ibu tahun 2000 awal di asrama. Pas kenal udah lumayan lama, ada perasaan yang beda, itu menurut saya.”

Most of the time, we also experienced the same way with Mr. Maryono. We couldn’t describe our feelings or the reasons why we love someone. We just feel a sudden connection. But there’s a slight difference between us who can see and people who are sightless: they are more sensitive to emotion than us.

“Saya ada rasa suka aja. Susah untuk dijelaskan, yang jelas saya yakin dan tiba – tiba kok sreg gitu sama Ibu.”

When I asked him what kind of a different connection is, he explained that it could be an attraction at first, then it gradually developed into a love. He said that he didn’t take a long time to be so sure about her that he wanted her for the rest of his life. The feeling of a different connection was way too strong.

The Physical Appearance
Who says that physical appearance doesn’t matter to people who are blind? Yes, it does. I was so surprised by the fact that physical appearance still matters to them. How did they know whether their partner is good looking or not? Well, the answer is by listening to their families, peers, and surroundings.

Mrs. Salamah is one of those people who falls for someone because of the physical appearance—but remembers, she also falls for her husband because he is smart and kind. When she told me that, “my husband is handsome—that’s why I like him.” I instantly asked her, “how do you know?”

“Iya bener kok, suami saya ganteng. Tinggi, putih, rambutnya keriting.” 

I am amazed, she even could describe his husband. He is tall, has fair skin and curly hair. Later I know that she only suffers from low vision, not totally blind. But then she also said that her family told her about that, they describe how Mr. Maryono looks and she loved it.

But still I wonder, is it true that physical appearance matters to them? “Not necessarily matter, but don’t you feel happy knowing that your partner is handsome?” Mrs. Salamah added. I guess I know the answer now. Their surroundings also take part in how they thought about their partners. They easily get influenced by their family and peers' opinion.

Well, to conclude, love works the same way as on people who are blind and as on individuals with sight—because we are human after all. Though it is true that sightless people cannot rely on their vision, but these factors, such as tone of voice, good communication, intelligence, personality, a feeling of a different connection, and physical appearance are things that we also happen to experience when we are in love. What makes it different only the sightless people are more dependent on other senses but eyes, since they play a huge role in loving someone.

But at the end of the day, the most important thing in building a relationship and finding love is by looking for someone we are comfortable and happy with, isn't?


Love,
NM.

#LiburanJadiMudah ke Khao Yai, Surga 'Selangkah' dari Bangkok

Bangkok, persiapan menuju ke Khao Yai.

Sebagai bagian dari millennial, saya sependapat dengan pernyataan bahwa millennial cenderung menggunakan uangnya untuk bepergian atau travelling, sampai muncul sebutan millennial traveler.  Membeli rumah, mobil, atau barang mewah lainnya bukan lagi jadi prioritas millennial. Saya dan millennial lainnya lebih ingin mencari pengalaman yang nantinya akan memperkaya nilai - nilai kehidupan. 

Setiap kali musim liburan tiba, biasanya saya sudah siap dengan rencana dan anggaran yang udah saya sisihkan untuk bepergian, entah itu ke destinasi dalam negeri atau luar negeri. Dulu, bikin rencana perjalanan itu nggak semudah sekarang. Harus cari informasi yang mungkin belum ada di internet, harus tanya sana - sini untuk mencari kejelasan. Padahal karakteristik millennial kayak saya maunya serba mudah dan cepat.

Untungnya, saat saya travelling ke Khao Yai bersama dua orang teman saya , Oddie dan Novia, nggak ada tuh kesulitan berarti saat bikin itinerary trip. Karena segalanya serba mudah sekarang, cari informasi soal destinasi wisata juga nggak sesulit dulu. Sampai saya bingung sendiri ketika teman saya mengeluh, "Nik, travelling itu ribet ya. Susah banget deh. Akhirnya gue cuma di rumah, nggak ke mana - mana." Padahal dengan adanya internet dan teknologi yang semakin canggih, liburan jadi mudah di jaman ini. Segala informasi dari destinasi wisata, tempat makan, penginapan, bisa banget ditemui di internet. Apalagi sudah banyak review dari travel blogger yang bisa jadi acuan berlibur. Booking penginapan dan tiket juga sudah bisa dilakukan secara online. Untuk yang benar - benar nggak mau ribet, agen travel atau reservasi tur online juga udah banyak kok, salah satunya bisa coba Vizitrip. 

Pemandangan sepanjang jalan yang terlihat selama menjelajah Khao Yai.

Berbicara tentang Khao Yai, mungkin nggak banyak orang tahu soal destinasi ini. Apa sih yang terbesit di benak kalian jika mendengar kata Thailand? Pasti banyak yang menjawab Bangkok, Krabi Island, Pattaya, atau Chiang Mai. Kalau kalian sudah penat dengan hiruk pikuk kota Bangkok yang nggak jauh berbeda dengan Jakarta, cobalah melipir sebentar ke Khao Yai. Hanya tiga jam perjalanan dengan bis dari Bangkok, kalian bisa merasakan sensasi yang berbeda dari kota semagis Khao Yai. Nggak jauh, kan?

Salah satu tempat wisata ciamik di Khao Yai, Primo Piazza.

Nah, untuk membantu #LiburanJadiMudah kalian ke Khao Yai, saya akan kasih tips dan trik agar kalian nggak pusing saat menyiapkan rencana perjalanan ke destinasi surgawi ini! Dari bagaimana cara ke sana, di mana sebaiknya kalian tinggal, tempat apa aja yang wajib kalian kunjungi (yang tentunya Instagramable hahaha. Millennial banget nggak sih?), sampai makanan apa yang wajib dicoba. Oh iya, banyak yang bilang kalau Khao Yai ini adalah Little Italy-nya Thailand, loh.

Cara Mudah ke Khao Yai

• Naik Bis dari Terminal Mo Chit

Untuk bisa sampai ke Khao Yai, kalian harus menempuh perjalanan selama tiga jam dengan bis. Tapi ingat, kalian nggak bisa langsung turun di Khao Yai, mesti singgah di Pak Chong terlebih dahulu, kota terdekat dari Khao Yai. Jadi untuk membeli tiket bisnya, kalian pilih bis dengan destinasi Bangkok - Pak Chong di terminal Mo Chit. Mudahnya, kalian bisa beli di loket no 49 lantai 3 milik Ratchasima Tour. Harga untuk tiket per orangnya sebesar 134 baht (± Rp59.000). Oh iya jangan khawatir ketinggalan bis, bis ini selalu berangkat setiap jam hingga jam 7 malam kok.

Tiga jam perjalanan nggak akan bosan dengan pemandangan hijau seperti ini.

Ada alasan tersendiri kenapa saya menyarankan kalian untuk singgah di Pak Chong. Karena selain banyak sekali penginapan murah di sana, moda transportasi juga gampang. Jujur ya, penginapan di Khao Yai sendiri itu super mahal dan jenisnya udah villa, bukan lagi hostel atau budget hotel. Untuk kembali ke Bangkok, mudah banget caranya, di dekat Pak Chong Night Bazaar ada banyak tour atau travel juga terminal bis yang bisa kamu pilih sesuai anggaran dan kesesuaian waktu.

Ada baiknya untuk menyewa scooter ketika menjelajah Khao Yai.

"Terus gimana nih caranya bisa pergi ke Khao Yai dari Pak Chong?" Tenang! Semua bisa diatur. Kendaraan terbaik yang bisa saya saranin adalah dengan menyewa scooter. Nggak usah repot - repot cari di mana, karena di sepanjang jalan kalian akan banyak menemukan rental motor maupun mobil. Harga per motor untuk peminjaman 24 jam ditarifkan sebesar 300 baht (± Rp130.000). 

Saran dari saya , jika kalian bepergian ke Khao Yai saat pagi hari sekitar jam 9 - jam 10, bawa jaket tebal ya. Karena asli, di perjalanan waktu naik motor, saya sama teman - teman saya kedinginan dan anginnya kencang sekali. Walaupun nanti di siang bolong, Khao Yai akan jadi super terik. 

Penginapan Mudah dan Murah di Khao Yai

• At Home Hostel, Pak Chong

Tampak depan Home Hostel, sangat artsy dan unik.

Sebelum saya sampai ke Khao Yai, saya sudah booking hotel melalui situs reservasi online. Ini nih, salah satu hal yang setiap traveller wajib lakukan; booking hotel jauh - jauh hari agar tidak kerepotan nantinya dan bisa dapat harga lebih murah. Saya memutuskan untuk menginap di At Home Hostel karena dekat dengan Pak Chong Night Bazaar dan terminal bis. Jadi bisa langsung jalan ke hotel setelah sampai di terminal. Anggaran yang harus saya keluarkan untuk menginap di sini sebesar 320 baht atau ± Rp140.000 per malam dengan kamar yang berisi dua kasur tingkat dan satu kamar mandi.

Pojok baca yang disediakan oleh At Home Hostel.

Ada fasilitas ruang makan yang homey banget!

Lihat deh, sebebas itu loh saya dan teman - teman boleh mengonsumsi apa aja yang tersedia.

Selain lokasi yang strategis, alasan saya pilih penginapan ini adalah fasilitasnya juara! Ditambah lagi dengan pemiliknya super ramah. Kalian bisa konsultasi dengan Nice (pemilik At Home Hostel) mengenai rencana perjalanan kalian. Nice akan senang hati memberikan saran terbaik. Sebelum berangkat menjelajahi Khao Yai, saya diberikan satu copy-an peta wisata Khao Yai yang berisi destinasi wisata, jujur itu sangat membantu saya di perjalanan ini. Selain itu, At Home Hostel juga menyediakan penyewaan motor. Jadi kalian nggak perlu repot - repot untuk mencari penyewaan lagi. 

Tempat Wajib Kunjung di Khao Yai

• Pak Chong Night Bazaar

Thai crispy pancake!

Saya sampai di Pak Chong saat sore menjelang maghrib. Setelah beristirahat sejenak, saya  dan teman - teman mulai berburu makanan. Untung aja lokasi hotel dengan Pak Chong Night Bazaar bersebrangan, jadilah kami makan malam di sana. Pasar malam ini wajib kalian kunjungi untuk wisata kulineran. Beragam makanan, minuman, dan buah - buahan ada di sana, dari yang unik sampai mengenyangkan. Selain itu, pakaian dan pernak pernik juga terjual loh di sana. Pokoknya wajib deh dikunjungi!

• PB Valley Khao Yai Winery

Keluar 'selangkah' dari Bangkok dan menemukan tempat indah. 

Siapa yang percaya bahwa hanya butuh tiga jam aja dari Bangkok untuk mendapatkan pemandangan seperti gambar di atas? Destinasi pertama yang saya kunjungi di Khao Yai adalah PB Valley. Pada dasarnya, tempat ini adalah kebun dan pabrik anggur tertua dan terbesar yang ada di Khao Yai. Untuk bisa masuk ke sini, kalian sama sekali tidak perlu membayar apa - apa, termasuk untuk parkir. Semua gratis dan kalian bisa mengelilingi kebun yang luas tersebut. Luar biasa kan? Namun, kalau kalian ingin mengikuti tur yang dipandu oleh pemandu profesional dan mencicipi segelas anggur di sana, kalian dikenakan biaya tersendiri sebesar 200 baht (± Rp87.000).

• Primo Piazza

Tampak luar dari Primo Piazza.

Kesan saya pertama kali saat menginjakkan kaki di sini adalah, "Wah, kayaknya nggak perlu ke Italy nih lain waktu." Karena asli, bangunan serta penataan ruang di sini terinspirasi dari tatanan arsitektur Italia yang berkelas, jalanan berbatu, dan lingkungan hijau seperti pepohonan dan kebun bunga. Jadi mirip sekali!

Percaya nggak, kalau ini matahari lagi terik - teriknya?

Primo Piazza telah berhasil menciptakan suasana mediterania yang hangat dan santai. Ada banyak kafe dan restoran di lokasi ini yang bisa dijadikan tempat bersantai atau pun bersenda gurau dengan teman maupun kerabat. Tapi, jangan berharap tarif menu makanannya murah ya, karena tentunya tidak hahaha.

The shadows. 

Bergaya di Little Italy-nya Thailand.

Feeding and Selfie with Alpacas.

Untuk masuk ke Primo Piazza, per orang dikenakan 200 baht atau sekitar Rp87.000 untuk tiket masuk. Tiket ini sudah termasuk dengan kupon yang nantinya bisa ditukarkan untuk memberi makan Alpaca - Alpaca yang ada di sana. Kalian juga bisa berfoto dengan Alpaca loh!

• Palio Village

Bangunan cantik untuk berfoto dan berbelanja.

Penataan ruang yang hampir sama dengan Primo Piazza, namun Palio Village lebih memfokuskan sebagai destinasi untuk berbelanja. Banyak toko oleh - oleh yang didesain menarik layaknya bangunan Tuscan. Tapi lagi - lagi, jangan berharap untuk mendapatkan harga murah di sini saat berbelanja. Jadi lebih baik simpan uangnya untuk berbelanja di weekend market Bangkok. 

Selain sebagai shopping village, tempat ini juga berisi restaurant, kafe, hingga trick art yang bisa dikunjungi. Untuk dapat masuk ke 'desa' ini, kalian hanya diharuskan membayar parkir saja sebesar 20 baht atau sekitar Rp8.000. Tapi lucunya, saat saya dan teman - teman ke sini, kami tidak ditagih uang parkir dan diperbolehkan pergi begitu aja hahaha.

• The Chocolate Factory

Tebak, kami beli coklat atau hanya berfoto aja?

Kunjungan saya ke sini sama sekali tidak direncanakan, tiba - tiba aja. Awalnya saya  pikir dengan mengunjungi tempat ini, saya akan disuguhkan dengan proses pembuatan coklat. Tapi ternyata nggak. The Chocolate Factory hanya sebuah toko coklat dengan menghadirkan restoran di sana. Mungkin mirip dengan Cimory kalau di Indonesia? Karena kesan pertama yang saya miliki saat datang ke tempat ini adalah seperti itu.

Makanan Wajib Coba di Khao Yai

Oke, sekarang saatnya membahas makanan dan minuman! Pada dasarnya, makanan dan minuman di Khao Yai juga bisa ditemukan di Bangkok. Tapi nggak ada salahnya kan untuk membuat daftar makanan yang pernah saya coba di sana. 

• Pad Mee Korat

Bagi pecinta makanan manis dan asam, ini cocok untuk kamu!

Pernah dengar Pad Thai? Atau mungkin malah pernah coba? Nah, Pad Mee Korat ini hampir sama dengan Pad Thai, tetapi minus beberapa bahan seperti kacang, tahu, dan acar. Rasa yang disajikan dari makanan ini adalah manis dan asam. Karena saya takut terlalu manis, akhirnya saya pesan dengan super pedas. Dan alhasil enak! Harganya hanya 40 baht aja atau sekitar Rp17.000.

• Thai Crispy Pancake

Thai Crispy Pancake atau Kanom Bueang adalah salah satu makanan penutup yang populer di Thailand. Ada dua jenis rasa dari makanan ini, manis dan asin. Biasanya, Kanom Bueang pertama kali dilapisi dengan krim kelapa lalu ditaburi kuning telur yang telah dicampuri sirup (untuk rasa manis) atau ditaburi dengan udang cincang (untuk rasa asin). Harga satu porsinya 20 bath atau sekitar Rp8.000.

• Nasi Goreng Sapi dan Thai Tea

Sesenang itu nemu restoran yang terjangkau di Khao Yai.

Waktu menjelajahi Khao Yai, kesulitan yang saya jumpai adalah mencari restoran terjangkau. Karena lagi, rata - rata yang ada di sana adalah restauran dan cafe mewah--namanya juga tempat wisata hahaha. Tapi untung aja! Nggak lama ketika mengendarai motor, di samping kiri jalan ada rumah makan yang kelihatan bersih, tertata, dan kayaknya terjangkau. 

Yang paling dicari: makanan enak dan murah.

Benar aja, dong! Makanan dan minuman yang mereka jual sangatlah terjangkau. Saya pesan nasi goreng sapi dan thai tea yang jika ditotalkan semuanya menjadi 65 baht atau sekitar Rp28.000. Oh iya, saya ada cerita lucu di sini. Pegawai restoran di sini kebetulan tidak lancar berbahasa Inggris, saya dan teman - teman juga nggak bisa berbahasa Thailand. Selanjutnya, kita mengandalkan google translate untuk berbicara satu sama lain! Akhirnya komunikasi bisa terjadi juga, kok. Ini nih, salah satu bukti nyata kalau travelling itu nggak seribet dan sesulit yang dibayangkan. Lagi, lagi, manfaatkanlah teknologi. 

Nah, dari penjabaran saya di atas, gimana? Sudah mulai tertarik untuk mengunjungi kota indah nan magis ini? Saya paham, banyak orang yang punya rencana liburan tapi ketika ingin mulai direalisasikan, mereka akan terhenti di tengah jalan dengan alasan "ah, ribet ternyata." Lalu akhirnya nggak jadi liburan, padahal mungkin anggaran udah disiapkan. Well, nggak perlu lagi ngeluh ribet! Karena kini mengatur liburan semakin mudah dengan adanya Vizitrip, sebuah online platform yang memudahkan traveller dalam reservasi tur wisata baik dalam negeri maupun luar negeri, kapan pun dan di mana pun. Tinggal kunjungi websitenya di sini, buat akun, dan pilih paket tur yang sesuai dan cocok untuk kalian. Ya mungkin proses membingungkannya hanya saat memutuskan destinasi mana yang mau dikunjungi, secara banyak sekali pilihan destinasi yang ditawarkan hahaha. 

Berbagai jenis trip juga sudah dirancang sedemikian rupa, kalian tinggal pilih sesuai selera. Mau yang regular trip kah, open trip, sampai group tour juga ada. Tiket masuk destinasi wisata  dan rail pass juga tersedia. Selain itu, kalian juga bisa memilih paket liburan sesuai mood, dari liburan yang berisi kegiatan petualangan sampai jalan - jalan dan belanja cantik aja. Pokoknya #LiburanJadiMudah dengan Vizitrip.

Tampilan Vizitrip yang sleek sehingga memudahkan dalam pemesanan.

Jujur, ketika saya ke Khao Yai, saya juga menyempatkan diri untuk singgah di Bangkok. Tapi sedihnya, saya kurang menjelajah. Bayangin aja, saya nggak sempat bertandang ke Grand Palace, Wat Pho, maupun Wat Arun. Nyesel banget deh, asli! Hal itu disebabkan manajemen waktu saya yang kurang dalam perencanaan perjalanan saya. 

Nah, agar kejadian kayak gini nggak terulang lagi, lain waktu saya akan coba trip bareng Vizitrip. Mumpung Vizitrip punya paket tur ke Bangkok dan sedang ada promo THR (Traveling Hemat Ramadhan) loh. Ayo, kalian juga mesti coba trip bareng Vizitrip biar liburan jadi mudah. Dari Bangkok, jadi bisa mampir ke Khao Yai, kan? 


Love,
NM.

To My Best Friend

Hi. How is life, you?

Such an awkward starter to ask you like this. I know. But yeah this is me—your friend talking.

Are you still aware of what thing that I love to do every time I'm feeling down? I write. What do I do when I get sad? I write. What do I do when I am happy or grateful for life? I write. What do I do when I really want to express a or two or more feeling? I write.

Every big time, I write. And now, I write about you.

Hey, let me tell you a secret—which is going to be exposed.

I have a feeling that I start to lose you—and it sucks. It sucks that it happens too soon. It sucks that I'm aware—I'm not ready, yet, it sucks that you look okay while I am here bleeding. A little bit I guess because I don't want to be that miserable. I want to be okay—I want to look okay, just like you.

But I know, I can't.

I still have a vivid memory when you said to me: "Lo harus mulai cerita sama orang lain, gue kan nggak mungkin selalu ada."

Yes, I understand. I understand a lot that we have our own lives to go through. You do your thing and I do mine. But for me, myself, a person who is not easily comfortable to people even to tell my stories, it's hard. It's really hard. I secretly love to stay in comfort zone—and you are one of it. 

You were there when I was feeling left out by my surroundings. I was feeling left out because I only can listen and that's it. I can't talk about my problems; tell my stories because maybe I just don't trust them yet—and that takes time. It takes time for me to trust people.

"Nama - nama yang lo sebutin gue bisa nggak tau mereka siapa. Begitu pun lo. Makanya gue jarang cerita karena takut lo nggak paham.", said yourself to me that time. Well, fairly enough, I like to listen to your stories.

But here you are now, pushing me away. I am sorry if it is just me who feel so when maybe the reality is not like that. But I do feel it. I do.

There was one time I tweeted this in our Twitter account, yes our. Do you still remember that we have our Twitter account? 

On October 2nd, 2017: "Gue janji, gue nggak akan ninggalin! Selama keadaan nggak memaksa gue. Karena gue tahu, ujung - ujungnya gue yang nyesel kalau meninggalkan."

An honest saying from me which I wish it won't happen.

Because after all this time; after 10 years of us being friends,
I don't want to let this friendship slip away.

The last thing, I just want to show you an excerpt of Nadin Amizah's (@cakecaine) caption on her Instagram which I found fascinating for us to read. Unconsciously, maybe this is what drives me to write about you.

Dearest friend, every lines that cross path, part. 

Every friendship or whatever you call it ends as we grow up. 

And thus when our lines reach its end, and when we run out of places to go, food to eat, jokes to tell, 

Dearest friend, know that I will still love you. by your side or from the distance. 

I am your friend before anything else, so your happiness matter to me a lot more than anything else. 

Dearest person, every lines that cross path, will eventually part. 

I’m so familiar with the concept that I'm not afraid of goodbyes anymore. 

It is inevitable. sometimes it means forever. but a lot of times it just mean seeing each other years from now, for the first time after long. you with your loved one and me with my own, happy. 

or it could be just us. it could be just us, together, happy.

Dearest person, we do not know what the future may have on its hands. 

But may we always love, and forgive, and love. May we remember all the kindness, 

May we laugh again at how we smear pain on each other’s back and may we forgive.

After the silence fills the air and the only thing left to say is 

"I have been good to you, and you have been good to me. I’m grateful,” 

You, my dearest, will always have me behind your back. (or by your side)

—@Cakecaine's on her Instagram—

For all the togetherness that we had back then,
For all the memories that we created together,
For all the jokes, peals of laughter, and smiles that we put into life,
I gladly say that I am so grateful to be your friend.

Happy birthday, you.
Thank you for being born and being here and there. At those times. 

Wishing you the happiness you deserve. Always. 

To my May 31st person.

Love,

NM.

P.s: 

Nyet, I know I could be this annoying to some extent, apalagi dengan nulis - nulis begini, am I sound too selfish and childish? Tell me if I am dan mau maklumin gue nggak? *tetep annoying*. Satu hal yang akan selalu gue ulang - ulang: thank you for being my best friend ya since 12 years old and now you are 22. Selamat bertambah tua dan dewasa.