Solo Traveller

May 25, 2014EkaFauzi16 Travel, thought

Three Cliffs Bay, South Wales, April 2014

Travelling isn’t always about where you’ve been to many great famous places, but it is more of whom you spent the time with. For me, travelling alone, meeting people, deciding where the next destination were quite challenging task. Doing all these things has made me feel that this world has its arms open for me. Strangely but true, due to this, I found many homes while I was away from a place I called home.

Never be afraid of getting lost. Now, I will tell you why. Being lost, being unable to hold on those routines that you does every single day, does create some effects. However, I found interesting feeling about being lost: I feel I am the most genuine person in my whole life when I was lost. Well, let’s think about that it’s just me and myself. I am accountable for every single act that I take. It is sort of funny that when you are lost, you did found the real you inside.

The feeling of not relying to others for your own safety. The feeling that it only takes you and yourself to survive in a foreign land, these kind of feelings pushed the survival button in our mind. The button that set us free to the choose any options that were previously seem unavailable and unattainable. Like, how to survive while you were starving in the streets where nobody knows you and while you too, then, realise that you are nobody as well. You won’t see this options when you’re just lying in your comfy bed or couch with buckets of fried chicken or chips in your hand while doing your favorite tv series marathon on netflix. In short, you won’t have to choose how to get food to end your hunger out in the foreign land if you don’t get out from your comfort zone.

In the end, just like inside the storybook. It is not about the destinations that are memorable but the most interesting part is the adventure written or told during the journey. The end of the journey somehow is a new start of another journey. Our life will always be a new journey as long as we don’t let ourselves got trapped in the comfort zone too long.

Travelling taught me how to get up and take a step out of my comfort zone. It taught me to keep on moving and always be ready to leave and say goodbye.

“Life is about courage and going to the unknown” – The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Leaning Down in Pisa

January 5, 2014EkaFauzi16 Travel 1 Comment

Lean on

We arrived at 8 pm in Pisa. After that awful pizza in Siena which I can’t even finished, I can’t hold the hunger anymore. I queued in front of McDonalds counter and ordered for food. I felt something good about Pisa that night. It turned out to be true which started from a bonus given by the cashier who looks like Jarvis Cocker. Here’s the story: I was waiting for my order to be done which he said that I need to wait for 15 mins. So, I waited, and waited until the last customer finished. He noticed that I was there still waiting then when I came (again) and ask “uhm…my burger?” and he suddenly realized that I haven’t got my order then he grab not only one but three burgers from the racks and put them quickly into the paper bag in front of me. “Ti regalo (a gift from me to you), I am sorry to kept you waiting,” he said while put his hands as a gesture of asking apologize. I said, “Wow, tre (three)?” and he replied “Yes, my apologize” again he smiled. Two extra burgers, woo hoo! See I told you I had good feeling about this town.

Then, our hostel was easy to found plus the owner was super nice. The hostel was cozy which will make you feel like at home once you stepped inside.

Then, we decided to take a night walk to the famous tourist attraction in this city, the Tower of Pisa.

I just can’t help. My jaw was wide opened when I saw this towering sight in front of me. Just 25 minutes by walk from our hostel, and then I saw this famous leaning tower. I used to see it on books, TV, or movies, but now I saw it with my very own eyes. Despite the rain and the dark of the night, Tower of Pisa is stunningly beautiful.

I could not believe my eyes that among the modern buildings, suddenly this ancient building was visible. This hundreds-year old building was well taken care that it seemed like it never aged. It was like someone just built it yesterday, like a replica. I could not believe that it’s real.

It’s not one of my favorite object but, still, when you see and know that this is famous and was one of world’s seven wonders, you’d admit that it still gives you a amazing feeling. One thing that I love during our night walk to the leaning tower was that, not too many people there. It felt like it was reserved privately for us.

It was just us and Tower of Pisa.

Gazing this object which has been there for hundreds of year and it that the fact it had witnessed millions of events happened in front of it during the years behind, I wonder if it could talk, what it will say?

Anyway, from the frosty Florence, then going solo in Siena, and finally leaning down at Pisa, I wrappend up our journey in Tuscany. The next morning, we reached the airport and heading back south to our sunny Calabria. Tuscany was frosty and beautiful,. However, when I saw the land of Calabria, I saw home and I couldn’t hold up the smile when I heard the passenger in front of me saying, “Oh, Calabria mia”

No matter how far I’ve gone, well, home is where the heart is and it’s true that I can’t deny that Calabria is a place I call home right now.

Calabria bella, Calabria mia.

Solo in Siena

January 5, 2014EkaFauzi16 Travel

Choosing souvenirs is a tricky job

We woke up too late in the next morning. We supposed to catch the train to Siena early in the morning. However, we ended up by checking out late from the hostel. I was not ready for this upsetting drama. I just didn’t want to lose Siena. So, I decided to go a bit ahead from the pack because this time is a me time, I can’t let anyone ruins it.

I walked as fast as I could but still we missed the nearest-scheduled train to Siena. It meant we must wait for another 50 minutes to get on the train and wait another 40 minutes to reach Siena. The thing was we only have a very short time to spent in Siena since we will sleep in Pisa and I was kinda worry of not seeing the Tower of Pisa during daylight. The latter post is the evidence when all my worries did came true.

I decided to go around Siena in solo. I didn’t need GPS or map since I love to be lost and sometimes by getting lost we will find the best part which no one ever seen. So, my me-time involved a solo wondering around the city, taking pictures of the Divine Beauty which I can only see from the outside, being confused of choosing the magnets and postcards for souvenirs, walking in the rain, and the best part was, eating Siena’s specialty “panforte” and since I’m a sweet-tooth person, this cake of dried fruits and pieces of almond was one of the best things of human’s invention.

My day in Siena was wrapped up by meh-pizza for a lunch and a walk to the station in the middle of a light rain, alone. I really couldn’t be happier than this. I couldn’t stop smiling while putting my backpack on the seat of the train to Pisa, our next and last destination.

Love from The Frosty City

January 5, 2014EkaFauzi16 Travel

The Lion of Florence

People said Florence is a beautiful city. I’ve confirmed this from more than three people but what I saw when I stepped my feet in Florence was somehow negate all those thoughts. There were garbage everywhere. Well, I couldn’t blame my friends for saying different things since the situation was different. They visited Florence during the spring while we were there on the winter and, what worse, it was after the big night of New Year’s Eve. Well, can’t really blame the local government too.

It was the 1st of January and it was early morning, I can even say I watched the very first sun of 2014.

However, honestly, yes, I was disappointed when I saw the plaza of the church near the train station was adorned with pieces of the broken bottles, plastics and more garbage. I was imagining a beautiful antique city which was said to be the most beautiful and romantic city. Well, dear readers, I just couldn’t catch the ambiance.

With the help of GPS, we found the famous cathedral, Santa Maria Del Fiore, or it was known for its popular name “Florence Cathedral” or in native Italian it is called “Il Duomo del Firenze”. It is a gothic style cathedral which stood out proudly in the crowd of the surrounding buildings. The cathedral complex is located in Piazza Del Duomo which marks the center of Florence . You can see its dome peeping from the small alleys. Just like a majestic queen in her throne watching over the whole city with all her grace. It was stunningly beautiful.

Since it was the 1st of January 2014, obviously it was a national holiday therefore not many stores were open. Most of them were closed including the coffee bars. Even the museum was opened from 2 pm till 7 pm which we decided not to enter since we got no time (we only have one day in Florence).

So, our next task was to find where our hostel and we did found out where its location. It turned that our hotel was way far away from the city center but near to the Campo di Marte train station. I couldn’t bear to walk any longer. Fatigue was all over me, so I slept for an hour before preparing ourselves for a night walk at the city center. My friend told me to go to Ponte Vecchio to see the sunset but we missed it since we all slept during the sunset. However, we made it to go to Ponte Vecchio to climb to Piazza Michelangelo where you can see the whole city.

Like Miley Cyrus said:

Ain’t about how fast I get there

Ain’t about what’s waiting on the other side

It’s the climb!

Yes!! It was the climb. What a steep climb that I almost fainted! Plus those frosty winds just couldn’t leave me alone. The jacket did no good to cover me. I was like frozen to death without my scarf which I noticed it was nowhere to found before we left the hostel. However, Hannah Montana was right, life’s a climb but the view is great. From the top, Florence’s beauty is visible to any dreamy eyes. It’s an instant cure for any eyesores. Now, that I’ve seen the real beauty, I can’t help myself to say, “well, indeed, it was worth the climb after all”.

Florence from Piazza Michelangelo

A Year on A Train

January 5, 2014EkaFauzi16 Travel

A year awaits to be written

Our plan for New Year’s Eve was totally screwed. We took the night train from Paola, the closest city which is the hub for all trains going to and from the north. The train departed from Paola at 5 and supposed to arrive in Rome at 22.30, yes we supposed to see fireworks in Rome but plan was only plan when our train stopped for almost one hour at Diamante and we were not even out from Calabria!

The disaster got even worse when one of the members of our travel “pack” started to sing which everyone know that he’s kinda annoying when singing. Stuck in a compartment with him was just a starting point of the night. Two hours of an almost-bleeding-ear experience, it was the longest night I’ve ever had. Seriously when they said “gee, a night with him is like a year” it is literally true, we spend the last minute of 2013 together with his singing and it was over until the train which was finally arrived at Rome’s station Termini at 00.30 AM on the 1st January 2014.

It was the longest night train travel ever!

I can imagine my friends watching the fireworks during the night from the balcony, well, we also watched it from the train window. I can’t say it wasn’t good, it was somehow different, kinda melancholy since we watched it from a moving vehicle as if we were moving toward something (well, yes, toward our destination which was Rome). As if we were told to keep on moving, new year, new days, new hope, new dream, and new goal.

We missed the party when we got there in Rome. All we saw was people vomiting, and people wearing glowing head band, similar to those Mini Mouse’s. Everyone wore it, kids, teenagers, adults and even grandmas wore it. No bus, no metro so we walked roaming the ancient Roman street at 1 AM in the morning, trying to find our way to the Trevi Fountain.

People gathered there, and trust me, I’ve never seen Rome at night and this one was beautiful. Seeing those old ancient building towering between modern building. Honestly, I always fall in love with Rome, over and over again.

We spent the next four hours at our embassy which had been very kind to lend us the couches for us to just sleeping and plus gave us Indonesian food which made us feel like in heaven. Fresh eyes and body, full stomachs, we were ready to catch our early morning train to Florence, our next destination.

Florence here we come!

Mothers

December 22, 2013EkaFauzi16 Thoughts

When I was 11 years old…

I remembered how I used to give you the headaches

What you told me not to do, I did it instead

You were very strict with me, telling me to do my homework but I left it blank and just went sleep

In the morning, when I woke up I saw all my homework were done.

I know it was you…

I never obeyed your words. I know I should have done it if only I knew

If only I knew…

That you would left us and went to better place months after…

Yet, He took an angel and sent us another angel…

When I was older than 11-year-old…

Ma…

It took me a while to learn how to call you with that word

You are a hard worker who tried to make everything possible for us.

I remembered how you left early in the morning for work and I always found your message in my door

On my birthday morning, I found your present in front of my door wishing me a blissful life.

You are the first person who always text me, “Where are you? Come home, please” when I was gone for hours after arguing with father.

You are the person who always whispers gentle word, “be patient, it’s ok”.

Ma, you were not, are not and never be our number two

Mothers…

What I am today is because of your lovings and carings

Both of you are the reasons why now I am standing still

Trying to fulfill my promise

Thank you for having me in this world

Happy Mothers’ Day

Promises.

December 15, 2013EkaFauzi16 Thoughts 4 Comments

I never thought I would found myself typing this word on google search engine. I never even imagine myself thinking to search for the meaning of this so-popularly-used word by human. I never thought that this word binds us, human, so tight into ourselves, well, depends on our intentions: to keep it or to break it.

According to freedictionary, prom·ise (prms) n. is a declaration assuring that one will or will not do something; a vow. While other meaning is to commit oneself by a promise to do or give; pledge (v. tr).

Further I found in wikipedia that:

In An-Nahl, God forbids Muslims to break their promises after they have confirmed them. All promises are regarded as having Allah as their witness and guarantor. In the Hadith, the Prophet states that a Muslim who made a promise and then saw a better thing to do, should do the better thing and then make an act of atonement for breaking the promise. It is forbidden to break an oath in Islam. However when someone does break an oath, they are required to beg for forgiveness and make up for the sin by feeding/clothing 10 poor people or freeing a slave(which is nearly impossible today), or, if unable to do these, to fast for three days. One of the four types of promises that are punished quickly is when you want to harm a relationship when the other person wants to keep it. (Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Promise)

As I always been reminded that when you face a problem, seek the answer through the Holy Book. I searched and read and found it in Sura An-Nahl (the Bee). When a muslim has confirmed his/her promise, he/she should not breaks it. As I always remember during the religion lesson that one of characteristic of a muslim is that to be true to their words and always keep the promise.

“And fulfill the covenant of Allah when you have taken it, [O believers], and do not break oaths after their confirmation while you have made Allah , over you, a witness. Indeed, Allah knows what you do.” (An-Nahl: 91, Sahih International)

To promise is easy depends on your intention but to keep your own words is tricky. The hardest thing is to keep the promise that you made with yourself. It is easy to say that “I will quit smoking”, but to keep the words for yourselves? Not that easy.

However, to promise means you are indebted with. You gave hope to the one you promised to, they trust you. This might be a small stuff but how can you manage bigger things if you can’t even keep a simple thing like, a promise?

For others, breaking the spoken words might be nothing. However, I will let you know why I wrote this today as I feel ashamed that I broke my own promise to myself: to stay on track and to finish everything. I am not trying to prove anything to anyone but somehow I felt crushed from the inside.

The lesson I learned (for once again): Never made a decision when you are emotionally unstable for the result will only filled with regrets.

In the end, I know I should have listened to the heart and use the logic in balance. This post is a reminder for myself, and hope to bring merit for those who read it.

“Whatever you have will end, but what Allah has is lasting. And We will surely give those who were patient their reward according to the best of what they used to do.” (An-Nahl:96, Shahih International)

Chocolate Walk

November 11, 2013EkaFauzi16 food, Travel

Chocolate chocolate chocolate

At first, I wasn’t that excited to go to this event since last year, it wasn’t that good. I mean, to compare with the one in 2011, where there was lots variety of food such as pasta with chocolate sauce, chocolate kebab and the strange and ‘ok’ spicy chocolate, they even have traditional music and tall juggler. Last year’s chocolate festival was, well, not the worst, not so merry but ‘ok’. No pasta with chocolate, no juggler, no choco kebab. That’s why when I saw the notification about this year’s festival, I wasn’t that excited.

But I was wrong. That night, cars cramped the street people flocked the main shopping street, Corso Mazzini. It took us about one hour to found parking slot. Before arriving, I was tempted by a new flavored croissant with pistachio filling! With a cup of hot cappuccino, they were a good appetizer lol.

Croissant with pistachio filling

Finally we arrived at Corso Mazzini where food stalls stood in line in the center of the plaza. Crepes, doughnuts, waffles, pralines, chocolate blocks, and yes! They have pasta with chocolate this year! Woohoo! But still, no tall juggler.

I was just amazed by the crowd of people. I never see them these many. Eating dinner was one of the things that concerned us as we got stuck in a line of a pizza restaurant. Trust me, even the restaurant where nobody go there during normal day, was full of people. We got caught in line twice. First was the kebab restaurant since two of us wanted to eat kebab while the others wanted pizza. When we got there, we only see line of human. We waited for 30 minutes for the kebab to finish. Then we were off to pizza restaurant where we met another line of people. We were sure that we would eat at the pedestrian since we saw no table for six of us. However, we were lucky when the girls brought the orders, I saw one table. So, we sat directly before someone else or other group took it. Since it actually a table of four, so we were to squeeze ourselves so that everybody got their space. Let’s say, we were keeping each other warm lol.

Well, it should be understandable since it was Saturday night and eventful night. One of my friend bought tagliatelle with chocolate sauce which was ‘ok’ but a little bit unacceptable for my tongue (can you imagine pasta with chocolate sauce?).

Tagliatelle al cioccolato

Crepes with nuttela was good, you can find also chocolate fountain and chocolate kebab. The other friend bought 100 grams of dark chocolate which cost €3 and I got a chance to taste a chocolate with ginger which is ‘ok’. The annual must-to-try food is the stick waffle which I regretted for buying it just because I hadn’t got my dessert after lunch. It was costly for me: €3! (this was the only stuff I bought during the event). Other thing I like during the event is the roasted chestnuts which officially marked that winter is here.

Festa del Cioccolato is one of sagra, or food festival in Italy which is held every late October or early November. In the other cities, this festival was held weeks before. Italian chocolate is not very famous but if you are a sweet tooth, this event is one of reason of why you should visit Cosenza.

Our Saturday Night Story

November 3, 2013EkaFauzi16 Friendship, Travel

Our kinda Saturday night

Just when I’m about to think about things I will do as my weekend routines, a good friend of mine came up with a sumptuous invitation “Come to Rossano!”. Well, she just had her marvelous graduation day which completed her two-outstanding-year of master program with an outstanding result, plus she’s leaving for good by the end of this month, so I really had no excuse for not joining the rest of the group for a short visit to Rossano, a city which is one and half hour far from where I live.

The group comprises of three Indonesians, two Guatemalans, and two Calabrian Italians. It’s rare to have all of us together at the same time since for the past two years we’ve been scattered between Indonesia, Calabria, Spain and Belgium. So, for having all of us in Rossano it’s kinda miraculous.

I don’t want to be melancholy but sometimes when you spent a rare moment with close-knit friends, it is intimately special. Our trip started with getting lost to reach Rossano and then wandering around the city, trying to find a way to reach the beach nearby. The hilarious part of this visit was the luncheon.

As we are students with limited pocket money, having a lunch outside the campus is a bit daunting. So, an invitation for a luncheon in a Trattoria made our heart skip a beat. Well, eating is a serious deal for the Italians. Eating is an important event for them, no kidding. Since eating is about bonding you and your companions. Eating for them means hours of chat about anything since their plates keep coming out from the kitchen. It started with antipasta (appetizer) then Primo and secondo (main course) and desserts.

luncheon

The antipasta includes a jar of Rossano specialty of wine which I didn’t taste since I don’t drink alcohol, and potato and eggplant croquettes. The main course included tagliatelli with porchini which indescribably a tongue spoiler. We were just calming down our bellies when the waiter walked out the kitchen with seven cannolo siciliano with sweet sour ricotta and smashed pistachio inside it as the desserts. These sweets added more minutes to our luncheon which already consumed an hour and half. Each of us was hardly breathed and really need a bit space to move. Next, is coffee time (geez, for us it seemed like a never ending-lunch). We told our own experience about how we got used to this ‘coffee after meal’ thing which is very common for the Italians.

Two hours of a full lunch (and amazing discounts!) we were ready to explore Rossano. The cars climbed up the mountain where our friend who is Rossano native, brought us to an old Byzantium church at the top of the mountain where we can see the whole region which resides by the Ionian Sea.

Rossano by the Ionian Sea

The tour continued down the hill which included a breath-taking solo path with wide open cliff in the other side to reach our friend’s “farmer hut”. The sun had set up when we reached the “cabin in the wood” house. It’s a family winter house with cozy couch and fire place to keep ourselves warm while sharing stories about ourselves with cups of tissana and classic books.

From the open balcony which is undoubtedly beautiful during sunrise, darkness whispered the mountain song as nocturne bird singing. I bet that stargazing during summer night is one of a must-to-do activity and I wasn’t wrong at all as my friend explained, “here comes the main attraction” as we gazed to the sky that night. Yes, Stars! As clear as diamonds… stunningly blinking their grace.

Dark followed us through the old part of Rossano. Our tour continued to inner Rossano which has Venetian look-a-like dome with towering city clock in Piazza Sterri and old alleys with old houses by their sides. It was like a night passage to the past. For a moment I felt like I was blasted to the past by imagining how the people used to live in this area.

Watery eyes and stiff shoulders marked the end of our short but intimate visit to Rossano. When I opened my eyes this morning, it was like a dream as I couldn’t imagine that I was sitting on my bed after just hours ago was having a walk into the past.

The Fall Back

November 3, 2013EkaFauzi16 Thoughts

The fall walk

Autumn had finally arrived as the fresh summer night breeze now is slowly replaced by a bit of frosty breeze. Colorful tank tops, sandals and shorts has been replaced by dark thick jackets and boots and here I am, on my third autumn marking my third year (gosh, I can’t believe it’s been three years) and hopefully will be my last year in Italy.

This autumn, once again, I saw one by one the people who started the first year with me, hatched from their “eggs”. By eggs I mean, they finished their study and graduated. Somehow, yes, I feel my time is not so far. I’m both excited and a bit “blank”. Excited since I really can’t wait to finish and by “blank” I mean “indescribable”. Some part of me said that I can’t wait to get off the ship but some part told me no need to rush just enjoy the remaining time.

Every time I walked pass by the campus, I looked at the mountains. They’re there since the first time I arrived in this city. They don’t change. They didn’t and they won’t. I was wondering how many people had been in where I stood now, staring at them, at their silence.

I’m ready to walk out but yet I’m afraid where I will step. But, I guess every step we take is a new chapter in our life. Like a blank page where new memories awaited to be written.