It was a really AMAZING EXPERIENCE!
well, here the story goes.
I was triggered by Cassey's blog post about when she watched Sigur Rós live in San Francisco, and I was aware that Sigur Rós will also touring in Asia, which the closest on was in Singapore and Malaysia. So i decided, I will go to Singapore to watch them.
I was really excited, i started to collect all of my wages and salary and tried not to spent big expenses so I could buy the plane and the concert tix. And there was I , buying all the thing my self, don't care if I can't hang out with the guys, or even thou i went out, not spending to much money so I could save more for this thing.
I bought the airplane tickets, the cheapest on, roundtrip and yes, I was proud of my self that I could actually get the promo price when I really indeed need the cheapest fare as well. So i paid the cost with no hesitate, I don't even want to think how much I just want to be relief that I had this airplane tickets , means I am , I was prepared to go fly to Singapore. I am prepared!
And then for the concert ticket, there was a little bit of drama for this part of the story. Most of it I was actually not fond of telling or even remembering what had happened. But I did, I did, I bought the ticket, a groups ticket which the other one was used by Athe, a friend of mine, whom actually is my best friend' x-girlfriend.
Cut to the case, moving to the Singapore journey story. Here it goes.
So It was Thursday, my flight schedule was on 17.55 pm. But days before, I was called by some HR person from Metro TV, and was called for a job interview on the same day as my flight. So I called them back and reschedule the interview so I can go to airport without rushing, because Metro TV was quite far from the Airport and also, I wouldn't know yet how long that interview will go for. Was it gonna be like hours, or just minutes, and so anyway, I did get to reschedule the interview and it was scheduled earlier but still on the same day.
And so I went to this Metro TV building, it's in Kedoya, somewhere near Daan Mogot, or Kebon Jeruk. I went there, I wait alittle while but just before my appointment hour, I've already been called and followed the person, who turns out to be soon-to-be-my boss.
We talked, she asked few questions, and hand me over a test, two articles , one in Indonesia, and one in English. The task was I had to translate both articles the other language around. She gave me 20 minutes to finished the task, but actually it took me more than that, I took like almost more than 40 minutes to translate the the articles. And yes, I wasn't that focused to do the task because whats on my mind was "Sigur Rós, Sigur Rós, in a couple of hours I'm going fly to Singapore and tomorrow I will see Sigur Rós" and so I did the task not to the maximum capability, I got distracted a lot.
And after finishing the job interview also the test, I had lunch with my parents and then went straight to the airport. When I arrived, I was 2 hours early from my flight, but still I was to excited to go traveling alone and well, there was a little pain in the ass but, what so ever, I kept on my mind that I am traveling alone.
And so I flew to Singapore, and I met this guy, an Indonesian guy who sit beside me on the plane, he was also going for Sigur Rós concert. That night, I wasn't had a plan where am I going to sleep for the night. There's a problem, but hell forget about that, and I decided to went and stroll along Singapore streets to find available Hostel. This guy, named Tama, was planned to sleep at the Changi Airport. For real, he was wicked and I feel pity for him, well it was something fun to do somehow, I think I will do that sometime in the future, sleep at the airport, alone. But anyway, I invited him to go with me, to find some hostel in China Town. He never ever been to Singapore, I think that's why he planned to sleep at the airport, and will meet up with his friend in the morning. But then he decided to come along with me. We found the MRT station, and pick the tickets to China Town.
We arrived like at 2200 and we found the China Town market already closing up one by one. It was late night anyway. So I started to seek for a hostel that still opened, because by my research, not all of the hostel would give 24 hours check-in service. I tried to memorize the map I have been looking at for the couple days back. I remember there was a hostel that I like to be in, Pillow and Toast, that was the name of the hostel. So I went finding the street, it was called Mosque street. I found it, I found the hostel, we went in and just in time because in a few minutes more, the receptionist will be off to bed. We checked in, we went to our dorm, I went for a shower, and then we went out for diner.
The next day, the day of the concert, I was awake at 8, and waited till 10, but there still no words from Athe. So I took a shower, and then went down to the kitchen, and made my self a bunch of toast. It still not enough for Indonesian stomach, I need rice. haha.
This is China Town, the view was taken from MRT station exit path.
In that kitchen , I met this Germany girl, named Anastina, she was there alone because of her ear problem. She actually has gone to , i think Thailand, Vietnam, and one other Asia country but then she has to go to Singapore because she had this ear problem that caused her half deftness and cured there in Singapore hospital. Also I met this India likely person, but actually He was born in UK, but he lives in some island , small island near Africa, I don't remember the name of the island. But yes he said his great great parents are Indian.
Finally, a word from Athe came, she asked me to meet up at City Hall MRT station. Cut to the case, I met her there, she brought her cousin and one American guy, good looking guy, named Keith Bradley. She met him at the plane too, just like I brought Tama along the day before. It was so nice experiencing things like that, met a stranger, but then we can bring along that stranger to company us in this alien city. Well, lucky her, she met a handsome native guy. But I thank God thou, Tama did accompany my night so that I don't actually feel alienated.
So, after finally meeting up we walked unplanned. It was draining my strength, really was. I wasn't looking forward something like that. I want to be settled to Athe's apartment, put my stuff there, and went to Orchard road, or somewhere else to explore Singapore.
But this girl.. is really was.. well.. cut the story, we parted from Bradley, he went to Marina Bay Sands, which I was envy a lot. I want to go there too, but it was to expensive and we don't have that much time to catch up for the concert. It was late already as what I had planned for the day. But anyway, we had lunch. I picked this menu, something called tofu something, I haven't tasted it again since I was teenager. I was so excited to finally had a chance to eat this again. It was memorable.
After lunch, we went to Athe's cousins apartment. It was at Clementi, which was far away from the concert venue. By the time we arrived there, it was really late, like we only had 2 hours to get prepared for the concert, but after experiencing some unenjoyable time, and it was a mood destroyer that just an hour before I want to get going, it was raining, a heavy heavy rain was pouring Singapore. But well, after took a shower and did some preparation, we went to the concert venue, prepared with rain (i brought umbrella -lent from athe's cousin, which actually left behind afterward) condition, and yes we were on set an hour before the concert *should be* began.
Fort Canning Park. It was huge, and we didn't actually know how to get to the entrance booth. I also didn't know where the ticket booth is. I already bought the tickets from Jakarta, but I do have to change the print out to be the actual tickets. I met few friends from Jakarta and they told me I have to go out front to the ticket booth, but we actually already in the entrance line, it was long enough i thought i could make it in time to change the ticket and back in line. But I must ran to catch up with the line, thank God i made it in time. We were in. We were in the venue. It was relieving, so much. I was exhausted enough before the concert even begin. So we bought some drinks and find a spot to sit.
And finally, after 2 hours waiting, there they were. On stage, and I was shivering to my nerves I couldn't bare to scream, but I didn't. They played the first song - I couldn't even remember the list, I was to excited and occupied with my condition.
This is a few friend we met in the middle of the concert. We had so much fun, we scream, we laugh, we yelled together as Jonsi sang and made us gone wild.
It was phenomenal. Few last songs were definitely was magical. The rain was pouring during the songs, and it was.. I don't know how to describe it, magical. Really is magical. The sky turned to orange puffy like, and the rain drops started to pour little by little and actually it began to be a heavy rain, stroll along with the change of the atmosphere of the songs.
I couldn't say I didn't cry, I wasn't but I feel something inside, It took my feeling ups and down, as Jonsi scream his voice out and the ambience.. oh God, I would never ever forget what I had experienced that night.
The concert done in like 2hours or so. I feel it was really soon to be done. But the time has said so, we have to go as soon as possible, the MRT soon will be closed and we don't have anything left to go anywhere. So we ran, catching up with the train, and finally end up in Little India, soaking wet, still shivering , still felt the excitement of witnessing the awesomeness of Sigur Rós.
We were stopping by the Mustafa center to meet up with Bradley, who actually was there at the concert. He was actually went to Fort Canning to meet up with us, but I wasn't aware that he called me several times, and texted me where were we after the concert finished. But yeah, we met and gathered at Mustafa center, and he brought us to his Hostel. It was so nice of him that he already asked for permission from the hostel for us to use the bathroom and also hang around till the first train start in the morning.
It was a crazy night. I couldn't believe I had experience such things. Really, It was.
The next morning, I realized that I lost my necklace, the 7 years necklace that already be my treasure all along, it was gone. vanished, and I couldn't remember where the last time I put that off my neck. I assumed that I left it behind in Bradley's hostel, so I went parted from athe earlier, and went back to the hostel. Just to find my necklace. But it wasn't there. I was devastated. Seriously, I felt like loosing something important in my life. That necklace had already accompanied my life and almost dying experience for the past 7 years, and I lost it recklessly. I felt so stupid, but well.. I see this as a good bye, to my old phase of life.
Yes, this is an experience that gives me a lot of learning the way I have to manage something by my own, seeing new people, strangers, being nice, being dumb, being extra careful and being very reckless. There is always advantage and disadvantage, and I couldn't step forward if I won't try any of choices I had in life.
I went back alone, I flight on my own, and arrived there at Cengkareng Airport, seeing my mom and dad waiting for me and picked me up, I feel so .. I don't know.. mellow.
well, maybe the way I'm telling this story was not as I expected, I can't make a good arrangement of the story because it was jumping all over in my head. But I feel like I have to type this down and hoping this could remind me somewhen, although I would never ever forget it.
Thanks for the chance, thanks for the fortune, thanks for everything.
Thank you Universe
So this is the kind of guitar I have, Yamaha classic, I have the old one, Indonesian made, It sounded so nice and played smoothly, I did sad that I have to change the setting of what it has before. Damn you Valdo, why you have to torn him up ? you broke my lovers, huh.
