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In She & Him, Wanderlogue

Washington, D.C. (2016)

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Washington, D.C. (2016)

I truthfully came to Washington without any expectations. Just like New York, this capital of the States was actually never on my bucket list, but the proximity to New York ensured me that we had to spend at least a day trip here. And all those world famous Smithsonian Museums, of course, I couldn’t say no to such opportunities. So after wrapping up in NYC, Adhi, Peter, May, and I headed south towards Washington D.C. Me, feeling excited but not so much, is apparently about to be so wrong.

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In She & Him, Wanderlogue

Christmas in New York City, N.Y. (2016)

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Christmas in New York City, N.Y. (2016)

I’ve never been a fan of bustling, light-striking metropolitan city and I don’t think I ever will. Even after NYC. Where concrete jungles where dreams are made of sanction the majestic pillars of modern urban livelihood of 21st century, the streets that make ones feel brand new are always far from quiescence, and the lights inspire its people to keep on chasing their own American dreams. Because, well, sirens are all around, the streets are mean, and noise is always loud, yeah?

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In Days in Edmonton, Overcasted Mind

It’s always been about managing expectations

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It’s always been about managing expectations

There has been several moments in my life where I was sure that I was good at something, was ready to receive the best possible result after great hard work coupled with something that I believed as possibly talent as well, but at the end of the day, things didn’t work out the way I wanted them to be.

Last year in 2016, it happened twice. I gave my best effort with hard work and prayers and all, and people and I myself knew if there were things that I was legit good at, it was those things.

Well, it didn’t work.

And it just happened again, within this current phase of life that I planned to take care as best as I could, after having learned all those lessons before. The final results weren’t bad though, but it was just moderately good. In my own scale however, that would be just so-so. And it wasn’t going to be that disappointing if it weren’t for those things that I thought I could definitely nail.

People and I myself have told me several times that I suck at being grateful at times. The truth is, it’s not that I forget to be thankful; it’s just I’ve always raised the bar so high and I barely forgive myself easily when I fail jumping above it.

To me, these kinds of things hurt the most. More than actual scars I got when I had my first traffic accident, more than any major heartbreaks I went through, more than mood swing times when I feel like all persons are trashy. Because this one lingers, this one I’ll remember for the rest of my life, particularly when some of them are indeed literally written in the form of official note of accomplishments.

A short talk to a friend that I knew would be able to give me some reasonable advice made me realize the primary issue: I’ve always forgotten to be sincere at those. Ikhtiar, my mother language says.

Maybe, it’s not that hard work doesn’t get paid off, or that best effort betrays. Maybe, it’s not that the greater power doesn’t answer my prayers. Maybe, it’s just that I’m being too clingy at it, as if it’s the most and the only significant accomplishment I’ve ever wanted, then I get too attached to my own expectations, as I want those things too much that I forget to let God do the rest.

And I can only tell myself: dear future Bila, don’t be anymore.

In Adventure of a Lifetime, Wanderlogue

Why choosing Emirates was the best thing happened to me in 2016 – part III: Toronto

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Why choosing Emirates was the best thing happened to me in 2016 – part III: Toronto

Keesokan paginya, semua awalnya terlihat berjalan lancar. Karena antisipasi berlebihan, saya tiba di bandara 3 jam sebelumnya, gate pun belum dibuka. Sempat telepon Adhi dulu dan meyakinkan dia untuk jangan cerita siapa-siapa (meski akhirnya saya tulis juga di blog ini, lol). Beberapa jam kemudian saya sudah berada di pesawat menuju Toronto.

Kemudian saya menyadari, there could be another challenge. Karena di Toronto saya harus membuat study permit sebelum lanjut ke connecting flight, dan saat itu waktu transit saya kurang dari 90 menit sebelum pesawat menuju Edmonton berangkat. And it would be utterly stupid if I miss another flight during this trip.

Pesawat pun landing di Toronto, dan saya sudah siapkan semangat terambis saya untuk menyerbu barisan manusia di airport demi mencapai antrian sedepan-depannya di Canada Borders and Immigration. Dan benar saja dugaan saya, antriannya sangat panjang hingga saya betul-betul panik apakah saya bisa tepat waktu mengejar flight selanjutnya.

Setelah menunggu pergerakan yang sangat memakan waktu di antrian tersebut (dan dua kali antri pula) dan study permit saya pun terbit setelah interview yang bikin gemas karena interviewer saya kelewat santai sementara saya gak berani minta buru-buru karena takut study permit saya malah gak terbit, saya langsung lari sekencang-kencangnya menuju gate. Dan ternyata… jauh. Banget. Parah. Kacau. Saya gak ingat mana yang lebih capek, saat lari-lari di LHR mengejar pesawat menuju Toronto yang akhirnya saya ketinggalan, atau pada saat itu. Betul-betul gak ada detik yang gak saya habiskan dengan berlari, saya cuma jalan karena memang mesti antri di security check seperti normalnya. Saya masih ingat betapa ingin nangisnya saat itu karena saya mengecek jam tangan saya setiap menit, menyadari bahwa pasti kalaupun saya beruntung saya akan jadi the last passenger on board. Di escalator dan di manapun saya terus lari dengan kecepatan dan durasi yang jauh melebihi tes lari jaman TPB di ITB (kebayang kan capeknya!) sampai akhirnya, kurang dari lima menit sebelum closing gate saya sampai di gate tersebut.

I was indeed the very last passenger to board. Kurang dari satu menit setelah saya duduk, pesawat pun take off.

MasyaAllah.

Saat itu hanya rasa syukur yang ada. Akhirnya saya di penerbangan final menuju Edmonton, menuju tempat yang sudah saya nanti-nantikan sejak berbulan-bulan lalu, gak harus lagi merasa deg-degan sepanjang penerbangan.

And it was worth it. I liked Edmonton from the very first time, I had Tim Horton’s for the very first time (and got one free double-double somehow! Yay), I knew I’m going to love being here for the upcoming two years.

Meskipun dua bagasi saya ternyata nyasar, dan saya yakin sepenuhnya itu masih tertinggal di London saat transisi dari Emirates ke Air Canada. Betul-betul sudah jatuh tertimpa tangga. But well, just a reason to shop new clothings, lol.

In Adventure of a Lifetime, Wanderlogue

Why choosing Emirates was the best thing happened to me in 2016 – part II: London

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Why choosing Emirates was the best thing happened to me in 2016 – part II: London

Selama di penerbangan Dubai-London, saya berkali-kali bertanya pada tiga pramugari berbeda karena gak satupun dari mereka betul-betul mengerti apa yang harus dilakukan. All they said was, “It’s okay, everything’s going to be just fine.” How cliché.

Kemudian tiba lah di London. Dengan sigapnya saya langsung buka kabin, keluar lewat pintu di belakang saya melawan antrian, dan langsung melesat dari pintu exit ke bandara dengan kondisi pundak yang serasa hampir copot saking berat dan besarnya hand luggage saya.

I only had less than 90 minutes before my next flight closes the gate.

Saya pun mencoba mencari Ground Staff karena para pramugari tadi bilang, those are the people I need to help me out. Namun sialnya, saya dioper-oper dari satu staf ke yang lain. Saya sudah jalan menuju Flight Connection meskipun I swear semua orang yang baru turun dari pesawat langsung walking straight menuju Baggage Claim (yang jelas-jelas bikin saya panic karena saya satu-satunya  orang yang ada di lorong menuju Flight Connection!). Karena gak yakin, saya bertanya pada staf pertama yang saya temui di setengah jalan menuju Flight Connection. Dan dia bilang, “You should go back to Emirates in Terminal 3.”

Like… what? Saya langsung lari ke arah berlawanan, kembali menuju Terminal 3. Dan somehow, saya agak lupa kejadiannya karena saat itu saya luar biasa terburu-buru, tapi saya ingat betul bahwa ujung-ujungnya saya bolak-balik sebanyak dua kali antara Terminal 2 dan 3.

Terakhir kali di Terminal 3, beruntung saya bertemu seorang pramugari Emirates yang super-duper baik dan nampak khawatir dengan saya, kemudian dia bilang, “No, you go straight to Air Canada.” Yang berarti dari tadi saya sudah benar! Saat itu saya sudah menghabiskan 30 menit waktu berharga saya karena I swear itu adalah jauh banget kacau.

In less than an hour, my flight to Toronto will be taking off.

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In Adventure of a Lifetime, Wanderlogue

Why choosing Emirates was the best thing happened to me in 2016 – part I: Dubai

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Why choosing Emirates was the best thing happened to me in 2016 – part I: Dubai

Tanggal 17 Agustus 2016 pukul 00.40 kemarin saya terbang dari Jakarta (CGK) untuk mencapai Edmonton (YEG) dimana saya akan melanjutkan studi Master selama dua tahun ke depan. Sesuai itinerary, saya akan transit di Dubai (DXB) dan Seattle karena perjalanan ke Edmonton memang tidak ada direct flight dari Jakarta, dan sesedikitnya harus transit sebanyak dua kali. Pesawat yang saya gunakan dari Jakarta sampai Edmonton seluruhnya adalah Emirates, meskipun untuk rute Seattle-Edmonton akan dioperasikan oleh Alaska Airlines.

Saya sampai Dubai pada tanggal yang sama, sekitar pukul lima pagi. Penerbangan ke Seattle dengan maskapai yang sama akan berangkat pukul 09.35. Maka pada saat open gate sekitar pukul 08.30, saya segera mengantri di gate B29 di Terminal 3 bersama penumpang-penumpang lainnya.

Saat pengecekan paspor dan visa, officer Emirates yang menjaga di gate bertanya, “Where’s your USA visa?” dan saya dengan kalem (dan begonya) menjawab, “I don’t have one, my final destination is Canada and I’ll only have a two-hour transit in Seattle without leaving the airport.”

Dia bertanya lagi, masih sambil membolak-balik paspor saya yang karena baru diperpanjang maka isinya memang hanya visa Kanada. “But do you have any other USA documentation?”

Dengan masih polosnya lagi saya menjawab, “No… I don’t think I’ll need one because I’m not even going to leave the airport.”

Disitu saya mulai sedikit khawatir. Dan mulai terpikir: do I even need a US visa just to have a quick transit at the airport?

Kemudian officer tersebut nampak mengecek laptop di bawah mejanya, dan dua menit kemudian dia bilang,

“Well you do need a visa to enter the US, at least a Transit Visa. Even just to fly over the US, you’ll need one. I’m sorry but we cannot let you on board.”

DANG.

Dunia serasa meredup di sekeliling saya.

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