2006-12-26 - 7:41 p.m.
Friday (22/12/2006):
Aunt Ria and her two sons Rizki and Emir showed up in the restaurant at sometime around 8:30 pm, driving their black Avanza and Rizki driving their their gray Soluna. My parents, my brother, and I stuffed our traveling bags in the Avanza. My sister and her boyfriend Gatot said they'd have caught up with us the next day, because they'd had to attend my sister's co-worker Bianca's wedding reception first.
It had been a long, rainy night. When my sister said bye to me, I'd just shrugged and quietly mumbled, "Okay." I guess I was still kind of...mad at her (and disappointed with Mom too). I know, I wasn't supposed to be like that, but could you ever really help it if you were in my shoes?:(*sighs* Ah, nevermind. I doubt they can ever really read me well or even care, so what's the point?
The traffic had been pretty heavy, under the heavy drops of rain. Heavy, heavy, heavy.:P When we reached the long highway to Bandung, I'd tried my best to stay awake. My brother was driving the Avanza, while Dad was asleep sitting next to him. Aunt Ria and her sons were sitting in the middle, while Mom and I were in the back. I'd joined in the boys' conversations and joking around with them for a while...
...When I woke up, it was already 12:30 am and the Avanza had finally stopped in Rajiman, Bandung. Welcome, welcome.:) The next thing I knew, I crashed really hard and fast with my brother and two cousins in the same room...zzz...
Saturday (23/12/2006):
The first morning in cool Bandung!:D Good breakfast too. The water's always pretty cold in Bandung, but I knew I couldn't hog the bathroom.:P*giggles* There were so many people in that big, two-story house number 13B in Rajiman.
And I enjoyed seeing the weekend edition of my favourite local newspaper KOMPAS!!:D Oh, how I've badly missed reading that sooo much. (Alright, so I've been feeling slightly deprived lately.:|) Luckily, I found and noted several, suitable job-ads for me.:) I hope I'll get lucky soon enough. (God, no more disappointments, please.:'-( I'm tired, okay?)
During lunch hour, Mom's eldest brother Uncle Iwan and his wife Aunt Dewi showed up with their three kids Reyza, Syarie, and Omar.:) Then Uncle Herly, Aunt Yanti, their only son Aditya, and his sweet girlfriend Shenny. Uncle Berlin came with his wife Aunt Nina and their three kids Gadis, Arga, and Bea after that.
Late afternoon, Menti and Big Memi finally showed up with their three kids Panji, Adinda, and Andra.:) A big, family reunion.
At night after dinner, Uncle Asoka and Aunt Ria decided to take us out. Since Menti, Big Memi, Adinda, and Andra were already fast asleep --- we took Panji with us. It was a beautiful night at a local stall, drinking bandrek (gingery drink) and bajigur (coconut milk with other ingredients my tongue could barely identify :P). The street musicians were playing guitar and singing beautifully.:D
After that, we hung out in CiWalk (Cihampelas Walk), drinking coffee at "Embargo" and taking pictures until almost one am. Then we returned to Rajiman, but I could finally sleep at two. My sister and Gatot finally turned up. So tired...zzz...
Sunday (24/12/2006):
Today was also Andra's seventh birthday!:D The chocolate cake was mighty delicious. Hmm, yummy...:P
Unfortunately, Uncle Iwan and his family had to go home early.:| Uncle Herly and his family (plus Shenny too, of course) also had to go home --- eventhough they actually live in Bandung too.:P
Then we went for a shop around the town.:P We tried "Rumah Mode", but it was already packed with last-minute, Christmas shoppers seeking for discounted items!:O Worst of all, it was raining again...hard. I loved the cool weather, but --- as a claustrophobic --- I hated the overly crowded store. Very suffocating...ugh! So, I followed Uncle Asoka to a small cafe called "The Blue Monster" (they have a cute icon of an animated blue monster *giggles*) nearby.:) He ordered regular, black coffee and even paid for my strawberry juice. Then The Almost Twins (my two siblings, of course :P) showed up with Gatot and Gadis. They asked me to join them, so I thanked Uncle Asoka and excused myself. (Okay, so I relaxed a little and there was no more anger --- not even the nonsensical kind.:P) The five of us toured around Dago Bawah under the rain, from one small shop to another. I didn't plan to buy anything, since I had no more money left.:| But my sister had convinced me that the blue-and-white striped sleeveless shirt looked cool on me and even insisted on buying it for me. (Alright, alright, I'm softening up right now.:) Are you happy? Besides, it's no use staying angry.*big evil grin*)
After all the shopping madness, we returned to Rajiman.
Too bad Menti and her family had to go home too that night.:(
At night after dinner, we went to The Valley --- a luxurious restaurant in Dago Atas (Bandung's hillside). Not much we could really eat anymore, except Zuppa-Zuppa (cream soup in a cup covered with bread on top), fried calamari, bitterballen, ice-cream, and iced-lemon tea (okay, that was actually quite a lot.*giggles*)
When we finally returned to Rajiman, I fell asleep instantly.:P Super tired...zzz...
Monday (25/12/2006):
The last day.:( Why does holiday always seem to end way too soon?
Not much we did. We still shopped a little, but I was no longer in the mood for anything.:| It was only exhaustion speaking, perhaps. But I just tagged along quietly. Uncle Berlin and his family went home early anyway.
After lunch in Jalan Sunda (I loved the noodles, or perhaps I'd just been starving like hell!), we drove back to Rajiman to drop Uncle Asoka back home. (Awww, sadness!:|) Mom and I joined my sister and Gatot in Soluna, while the rest were in Avanza.
Well, it was another long road home on the highway --- under the hard rain. Thankfully, it gradually stopped by the time we reached Jakarta at night. We dropped Gatot off at work in Trans TV station, and then returned home. I stayed home with the rest of the bags while Mom and my sister returned the Soluna --- Mom driving our old car. Then my parents returned home at eleven, and The Almost Twins were back in Panglima Polim...
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