Traveling With My Daughters

In our family, we don't always travel together. There are family trips, of course, but sometimes it could be solo trips, just me and my wife, the parent and friends, mother and daughters. I myself had done the father and daughter trip with Linda, but I never traveled with my younger daughter Audrey before, until recently. 

It was an achievement unlocked! Now I can safely say that in my life, I had travel with each daughter. Both gave me fulfilling experiences as a father. I had to be there as the adult who took care and loved them unconditionally, even when they didn't behave. It gave me a glimpse of what my wife went through everyday. It ain't an easy job, I can vouch for it! 

With Linda, at Supadio Airport. 

With Linda, it's always more straightforward. She's playful, a fun travel companion. She could be picky with food, though. A bit difficult when we were in Hong Kong, but it got better when we visited my hometown. Then again, it was two different eras. She was five when we had our first trip and she was 11 when the next one happened. In a way, I got a chance to see her change of personality. Still talkative, but now she enjoyed a good hotel and afternoon nap, haha. 

Audrey is the exact opposite of talkative. Our trip wasn't something that I planned, but something that I needed to do. Audrey is neither cranky or difficult, but she requires more attention and this can be exhausting. She also has this quirk of running towards convenience stores to buy ice cream or candy and she's lightning fast! Once Audrey is in the store, there'll be a lot of convincing to be done. Either that or I simply have to buy her something, haha.

Audrey at SATS Premier Lounge. 

As Linda's stories had been told before, I'd like to share a bit about the trip with Audrey. My brother-in-law passed away, hence the sudden trip to Tasikmalaya. It was noon when Audrey and I reached Changi. We had our meal at SATS Premiere Lounge and everything was fine until she saw the Cocoa Trees. She dashed in and stayed there until an uncle that was in the midst of floor sweeping took pity and gave me four chocolate candies. That got her moving again.

The flight to Jakarta was all right. As the matter of fact, Audrey had been good until we exited the Jakarta immigration and saw Circle K, the 7-Eleven equivalent in Jakarta. She wanted something, but I totally had no cash at all. It was the remaining of four candies that came to the rescue! Right after that, I managed to find the ATM that was working and I finally had some IDR in my wallet. Then we found ourselves waiting for Grab to Halim Station.

Few hours later, inside Whooosh. 

There was another convenience store at the station, but as we waited for our takeaway at HokBen, there wasn't much time left. I told her that we had to hurry and we ran to the platform as fast as we could. 36 minutes later, not long after we finished our meal, we changed train at Padalarang Station and headed to Bandung. Around 7.45 PM, we were already in our room at Harris Hotel. 

That concluded our journey for the day. Audrey had been good and she was rewarded with Häagen-Dazs when we went to the mall connected to Harris. But turned out that ice cream was more tempting than ramen, so I was the one that finished the meal I ordered for her. We returned to hotel, showered and called it a night. 

The next morning, I was wondering what was good for breakfast. Nasi uduk sounded like something she'd love to have, so I fired up Grab Food and ordered one from Nasi Kuning Ibu Leny. It was just a pack of good old nasi uduk, but it was oddly satisfying to see your daughter ate it heartily. It was like, okay, turned out that I was a quite a decent father that knew her daughter well. 

Finally met Mama again. 

The last three hours of our trip to Tasikmalaya was a car ride. We arrived safely and Audrey finally reunited with her mother. There was a sense of relief that I did a good job, but it wasn't the end of our adventure together. Audrey and I explored Tasikmalaya on the following morning and, as we followed Google Maps, we ended up in a small alley that was blocked by cockfight. I mean, there were literally two roosters fighting in the middle of the alley and we couldn't get through!

It was a good and fun memory, though. Linda and Audrey couldn't be more different. The former has a the same sense of humor as mine while the latter is the quiet one. Traveling with Linda is about leisure. Nothing fast-paced, just a relax trip. It also gives me chances to introduce the world to her from my perspective. With Audrey, I am more protective. I have to be. More tiring, but it's worth it. 

Linda and Audrey, on our way to Mirabellgarten. 

Now, how about travelling with a two of them? I foresee that it can be challenging, but I sort of did it last year. We were in Salzburg and Yani went for the Sound of Music tour, so both girls were with me. We lazed around in the room until it was time for us to meet Yani at Mirabellgarten. Audrey could be stubborn at times and it was one of the moments she chose to do so. She wouldn't budge and it was frustrating, but Linda helped persuading her sister as much as she could. 

So, yeah, I don't know how my wife does it so effortlessly, but traveling with two girls is a lot of work! If anything, it only makes me appreciate my wife even more. And if life is about creating memories, then the time when we were together was the time well-spent. The memories would live on. I hope. 

A moment with Linda. 

Berlibur Bersama Linda Dan Audrey

Di keluarga saya, kita tidak selalu berlibur bersama. Ya, tentu saja kita ada liburan keluarga, namun terkadang bisa saja liburan sendiri, hanya berdua bersama istri, bersama teman atau bisa jadi cuma ibu dan anak-anak. Saya sendiri juga pernah liburan ayah dan anak bersama Linda, tapi saja belum pernah jalan-jalan bersama Audrey sebelum bulan Juni lalu. 

Rasanya seperti prestasi tersendiri. Sekarang saya bisa berkata bahwa di dalam hidup ini, saya memiliki petualangan tersendiri dengan Linda dan Audrey. Dua pengalaman berbeda ini memberikan saya kepuasan sebagai seorang ayah karena saya harus menjadi orang dewasa yang menjaga dan menyayangi mereka tanpa pengecualian, bahkan di saat mereka sedang rewel. Hal ini juga memberikan saya kesempatan untuk melihat apa yang istri saya jalani setiap hari. Saya berani bersumpah bahwa ini bukanlah pekerjaan yang mudah! 

Bersama Linda di Bandara Supadio. 

Linda lebih gampang diajak jalan-jalan. Dia senang bercanda, tapi ada kalanya sulit dan pemilih saat makan. Menunya terbatas saat kita ke Hong Kong, tapi ada kemajuan sewaktu kita ke Pontianak. Namun perlu saya jelaskan pula bahwa pengalaman ini berdasarkan dua periode yang berbeda. Dia masih berumur lima tahun saat kita bepergian di tahun 2018 dan usianya sudah 11 tahun ketika saya membawanya pulang ke kampung halaman saya. Secara tidak langsung, saya berkesempatan melihat perubahannya dari bocah ke usia remaja. Linda masih aktif berbicara seperti dulu, tapi sekarang dia juga menikmati hotel bagus dan istirahat siang di kamar, haha. 

Audrey memiliki karakter yang bertolak belakang dengan kakaknya. Perjalanan kita bukanlah sesuatu yang saya rencanakan, tapi sesuatu yang harus saya lakukan. Audrey tidaklah rewel atau sulit, tapi dia memerlukan lebih banyak perhatian dan ini cukup membuat cape. Dia juga mempunyai kebiasaan berlari ke toko untuk membeli es krim atau permen dan dia luar biasa gesit! Kalau sudah berada di toko, susah untuk membujuknya keluar. Jalan pintasnya adalah membelikan apa yang dia mau, haha. 

Audrey di SATS Premier Lounge.

Karena cerita Linda sudah dikisahkan sebelumnya, saya ingin bercerita tentang Audrey untuk kesempatan ini. Adik ipar saya meninggal bulan lalu, jadi saya pun mendadak harus ke Tasikmalaya. Hari sudah siang ketika saya dan Audrey tiba di Changi. Kita makan siang di SATS Premiere Lounge. Semuanya berjalan santai sampai Audrey melihat Cocoa Trees. Dia lekas masuk dan berdiam di sana sampai seorang petugas toko yang sedap menyapu merasa iba melihat saya, lalu memberikan empat permen coklat. Audrey akhirnya berhasil disogok. 

Penerbangan ke Jakarta berjalan lancar. Audrey patuh sampai kita melewati imigrasi dan melihat Circle K di bandara. Dia ingin membeli sesuatu, tapi saya tidak mengantongi uang kontan sama sekali. Untung saja permen coklatnya masih tersisa. Segera setelah itu, saya menemukan ATM yang berfungsi untuk menarik rupiah. Selanjutnya kita menanti Grab yang membawa kita ke Stasiun Halim. 

Ada toko serupa lagi di stasiun, namun kita sudah menghabiskan waktu menunggu pesanan di HokBen sehingga sudah mepet waktunya dengan jam keberangkatan kereta. Saya katakan padanya bahwa kita harus bergegas dan kita pun berlari ke platform. 36 menit kemudian, seusai makan, kita berganti kereta di Stasiun Padalarang dan menuju ke Bandung. Sekitar jam 7.45 malam, kita sudah masuk ke kamar di Hotel Harris. 

Beberapa jam kemudian di dalam Whooosh. 

Perjalanan hari itu pun berakhir. Sebagai hadiah atas sikapnya yang lumayan penurut, saya membelikannya Häagen-Dazs. Ternyata es krim lebih menggiurkan daripada ramen, jadi saya yang akhirnya menyantap habis makanan yang saya pesankan untuknya. Kita lantas kembali ke hotel, mandi dan tidur. 

Keesokan paginya, saya berpikir tentang sarapan apa yang cocok untuk Audrey. Sepertinya dia suka nasi uduk, jadi saya pun pesan Nasi Kuning Ibu Leny lewat Grab Food. Hanya nasi kuning yang biasa disantap sebagai sarapan pagi, tapi puas rasanya melihat Audrey makan dengan lahap. Ada perasaan yang seolah-olah berkata, ternyata saya becus juga jadi ayah yang tahu makanan yang disukai oleh anaknya. 

Bertemu dengan Mama lagi.

Tiga jam perjalanan ke Tasikmalaya ditempuh dengan mobil. Kita sampai dengan selamat dan Audrey akhirnya bertemu lagi dengan mamanya. Akan tetapi petualangan kita belum berakhir. Audrey dan saya menjelajah Tasik menggunakan panduan Google Maps. Siapa sangka kita malah masuk ke gang kecil yang diblokir oleh sabung ayam. Maksud saya, tiba-tiba saja terlihat dua ayam jantan yang bertarung di tengah jalan sehingga saya ragu untuk lewat! 

Namun itu adalah pengalaman yang berkesan. Linda dan Audrey memang berbeda. Sang kakak memiliki selera humor yang sama dengan saya sementara adiknya sangat pendiam. Berlibur bersama Linda boleh dikatakan santai. Tidak ada kejar setoran dan saya berkesempatan untuk memperkenalkan dunia lewat perspektif saya padanya. Dengan Audrey, saya lebih protektif. Lebih melelahkan, tapi wajib dilakukan. 

Linda dan Audrey, dalam perjalanan kita ke Mirabellgarten. 

Namun bagaimana halnya bepergian bersama mereka berdua? Saya rasa akan sangat menantang, tapi saya pernah mengalami versi singkatnya di tahun lalu. Waktu itu kita berada di Salzburg dan Yani ikut tur the Sound of Music, jadi anak-anak pun tinggal bersama saya di hotel. Kita bersantai di kamar sampai tiba waktunya untuk menjumpai Yani di Mirabellgarten. Ada kalanya Audrey itu keras kepala dan di hari itu sikapnya muncul. Dia tak mau beranjak dan sangat membuat frustrasi. Namun di satu sisi saya melihat bahwa Linda juga tidak tinggal diam, melainkan ikut membujuk adiknya.

Jadi, ya, saya tidak tahu bagaimana istri saya bisa membuat semuanya terlihat mudah, tapi bepergian dengan dua anak itu tidaklah segampang yang dibayangkan. Setelah mengalaminya sendiri, saya jadi kian apresiasi terhadap upaya istri saya. Dan jika hidup adalah tentang membuat kenangan, maka kebersamaan kita adalah waktu yang dihabiskan dengan baik. Kenangan itu akan hidup selamanya. Saya harap begitu. 

Book Review: The Kite Runner

A friend of mine, the same one who went to Syria last year, is going to Afghanistan. When he told me that he had bought the tickets, I found myself browsing Wikivoyage, my favourite website for traveling. As I read about Afghanistan, I saw the section about recommended books. I checked those books on the library app and the fourth title was available. It was a novel called the Kite Runner.

I didn't have much expectation, but the book turned out to be almost as engaging as Harry Potter. The first part was about the friendship of Amir and Hassan, two boys from different ethnicities and social status who lived in the same house. The former was the master, the latter was the servant. The story was told from Amir's point of view.

I like the way the author took his time to educate the readers about Afghanistan. There was a time when Afghanistan was fine, though the tensions and differences were always brewing there: the Sunni and the Shi'a, the Pashtuns and the Hazaras. This information was added bit by bit to bring the story forward. It was humorous at times, coupled with a childlike innocence, until it took a sharp turn right before Afghanistan changed. 

The second part was about Amir and his father escaping from Kabul to Peshawar in Pakistan. The next thing we knew was his time as a young man in the US. Not exactly exciting, but a bridge needed by the story before the final adventure back in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Yes, he could run away to America, but his past would eventually catch up with him. 

Then came the last part, the story about his long lost friend Hassan and Amir's encounter with the Taliban. Amir was on a mission that brought him back to Kabul. Lots of twists and turns here, some weren't expected at all. Last but not least, it closed all the loops and reminded us again, why the book was called the Kite Runner. 

PS: my friend Hendra Wijaya told me that there was a movie based on this book, so I immediately watched it after I finished reading. While the movie followed the storyline quite faithfully, it felt rushed and some parts were omitted. I'd say that the movie painted a better picture, but the book told a better story. Overall, highly recommended. 

The Kite Runner.

Ulasan Buku: Pengejar Layang-layang

Teman saya, yang tahun lalu ke Syria, akan pergi ke Afghanistan. Saat saya dikabari bahwa dia telah membeli tiket, saya jadi tergelitik untuk membaca tentang Afghanistan di Wikivoyage, situs favorit saya tentang bepergian ke manca negara. Di situ tertera daftar buku bacaan yang direkomendasikan, jadi saya pun mencari tahu apakah ada yang tersedia di perpustakaan. Buku ke-empat, sebuah novel berjudul Pengejar Layang-layang, berhasil ditemukan.

Saya tidak memiliki ekspektasi apa-apa saat mulai membaca, tapi siapa sangka buku ini menarik sepertinya halnya Harry Potter? Bagian pertama adalah tentang persahabatan Amir dan Hassan, dua bocah yang berbeda etnis dan status sosial, namun tinggal di rumah yang sama. Amir adalah majikan, Hassan adalah pembantu. Ceritanya ditulis dari sudut pandang Amir. 

Saya suka gaya penulisan yang memperkenalkan budaya dan situasi Afghanistan pada pembaca lewat cerita. Afghanistan juga pernah menjadi negara yang damai, meski perbedaan itu selalu ada dan siap bergejolak: ada Islam Sunni dan Shi'a, ada etnis Pashtun dan Hazara. Semua informasi ini disisipkan sedikit demi sedikit. Ceritanya terkadang lucu dan polos, sampai semua itu sirna bersamaan dengan berubahnya Afghanistan. 

Bagian kedua berkisah tentang perjalanan hidup Amir dan ayahnya yang melarikan diri dari Kabul ke Peshawar di Pakistan. Kemudian dia pindah dan tumbuh dewasa di Amerika. Bagian ini agak datar, namun diperlukan untuk menjembatani cerita sebelum tokoh utama kembali ke Pakistan dan Afghanistan. Ya, dia bisa saja meninggalkan kehidupan sebelumnya dan hijrah ke Amerika, tapi masa lalu kembali mendatanginya.

Kemudian tibalah bagian terakhir yang kembali mengisahkan tentang Hassan. Selain itu Amir juga kembali ke Kabul yang kini dikuasai oleh Taliban. Banyak kejutan di sini dan beberapa di antaranya di luar dugaan. Di akhir cerita, semua alur dituntaskan dan pembaca pun diingatkan kembali, kenapa buku ini berjudul Pengejar Layang-layang. 

Catatan kaki: Teman saya Hendra Wijaya memberitahu bahwa ada film yang dibuat berdasarkan novel ini, jadi saya lekas menonton setelah menamatkan bukunya. Film keluaran tahun 2007 ini mengikuti alur di buku dengan cukup setia, tapi terasa tergesa-gesa dan beberapa bagian dihilangkan pula. Bila dibandingkan, film memang memberikan visual tentang cerita, tapi novel bisa bercerita dengan lebih baik. Direkomendasikan untuk membaca. 

Book Review: The McCartney Legacy: Volume 1

I read a similar book about the Beatles back in 2013. I remember it well because the book called Tune In by Mark Lewisohn was unusually thick (944 pages) and it covered only the first few years of the Beatles. It was all the more memorable because I was in Bangkok, reading the book in my room while taking care of my daughter who had high fever. Her mum was taking a day off, exploring the city with her siblings.

11 years later, I discovered the McCartney Legacy: Volume 1: 1969 - 73. The book had 720 pages, not as thick, but equally comprehensive. It began in 1969, starting from Get Back that eventually became Let It Be. It was quite in-depth, peppered with tiny details I never knew before. It was exciting, but the excitement lasted only until the Beatles disbanded. 

In 1970, John, Paul, George and Ringo went their separate ways. The book did well in revealing Paul's darkest days after the Beatles. It hit him the hardest, for he loved being a Beatle and yet he had to be the one to publicly quit the Beatles, much to John's chagrin. And it was quite an ordeal before he managed to pull himself up again, with a lot help from Linda. 

But then it got less interesting from here onwards. As I continued reading, I realized that I didn't really care much about Wings and its members. Yes, people like Denny Seiwell and Henry McCullough were talented, but they were pretty much Paul's sidekicks. To make it more obvious, the band was sometimes billed as Paul McCartney and Wings. As a comparison, back when he was a Beatle, Paul was simply one of the guys and the four of them were equally interesting.

So apart from learning the history of songs from post-Beatles era such as Maybe I'm Amazed, My Love and, of course, Live and Let Die, the best part of the book got to do with Paul's interaction with John, George and Ringo. The last bit that talked about Band on the Run and its recording sessions in Lagos was great, though.

Overall, I think the writers did a good job compiling the story. It's not their fault that most of it aren't that interesting, because as good as Wings were, the Beatles were a tough act to follow. It is just impossible to tell a good story right after the greatest story ever told. 

Ulasan Buku: The McCartney Legacy: Volume 1

Di tahun 2013, saya membaca buku serupa tentang the Beatles. Saya ingat betul karena buku berjudul Tune In karya Mark Lewisohn ini tergolong sangat tebal (944 halaman) dan hanya bercerita tentang beberapa tahun pertama karir the Beatles. Kenangan itu kian membekas karena saat itu saya membaca di kamar hotel sambil menjaga putri saya yang demam. Kala itu istri saya dan saudara-saudarinya berjalan-jalan menjelajah kota Bangkok. 

11 tahun kemudian, saya menemukan The McCartney Legacy: Volume 1: 1969 - 73. Buku ini setebal 720 halaman dan sangat detil pula. Kisahnya dimulai di tahun 1969, mulai dari Get Back yang akhirnya berubah menjadi Let It Be. Banyak cuplikan cerita yang tidak pernah saya ketahui sebelumnya, jadi buku ini seru di bagian awal sampai bubarnya the Beatles. 

Di tahun 1970, John, Paul, George dan Ringo berpisah. Buku ini lantas mengisahkan hari-hari Paul yang depresi setelah the Beatles usai. Dia sangat terpukul terutama karena dia senang menjadi seorang Beatle, tapi dia pula yang harus mengumumkan bahwa dia telah berhenti dari grup, satu hal yang membuat John jengkel. Dan hari-harinya terasa tidak berarti sampai akhirnya dia bangkit lagi dengan bantuan istrinya, Linda. 

Namun justru cerita menjadi kurang menarik setelah Paul memulai lagi dari awal. Semakin dibaca, semakin saya menyadari bahwa saya tidak peduli dengan Wings dan anggotanya. Ya, musisi seperti Denny Seiwell and Henry McCullough memang berbakat, tapi mereka lebih condong seperti pemeran pembantu. Dan kesan itu diperkuat dengan nama grup yang kadang disebut Paul McCartney dan Wings. Sebagai perbandingan, saat dia masih seorang Beatle, Paul cuma satu dari empat karakter yang sama-sama memiliki pesona dan daya tarik. 

Selain informasi tentang sejarah lagu-lagu setelah era the Beatles, misalnya Maybe I'm Amazed, My Love dan Live and Let Die, bagian yang juga cukup menarik adalah interaksi Paul dan John, George serta Ringo. Beberapa bab terakhir yang bercerita tentang Band on the Run dan sesi rekaman di Lagos juga seru untuk dibaca.

Secara keseluruhan, saya kira dua penulisnya sukses dalam merangkum cerita sedetil ini. Bukan salah mereka kalau sebagian ceritanya kurang menarik. Meski Wings populer di zamannya, tidak gampang bagi mereka untuk menandingi the Beatles yang fenomenal. Siapa pun pasti akan kesulitan melanjutkan cerita setelah kisah paling inspiratif yang pernah terjadi di tahun 60an.