Gembil's Wedding : The Preps-The Story

I just realized the long-winding wedding preps after those all "served" in front of my eyes. I thought when my mother said all the wedding preps are done, we don't have to through too many complicated-tiresome processes. Yet, we still have to do this and that. During the hectic period, i understand one thing. This is not my bother's wedding. This is OUR FAMILY'S WEDDING.

Began with a light daily conversation*** with his Senior High friend, my father met his future daughter in law after a visit arranged by that friend of him :

Papa : Nak Ivo ga pacaran?

Ivo : Tidak, Oom.

Papa : Mau dengan anak saya itu [*while pointing outside, at my brother who was standing nervously beside the car]? Dia juga ga pernah pacaran.

Ivo : *sceptical* Masa' putera Oom yang seperti itu ga pernah pacaran? [*she soon realized that my brother was a high-quality jomblo :))]

Papa : Masa' Oom bohong?!

A few minutes later, Ivo's father who was just met my father and my brother at that very time, asked my father to "borrow" my brother for a few minutes. After 10 minutes have four-eye talking with my brother, he said that he will let his daughter to think about the sudden proposal my father just offered. Two weeks passed and that family ended up in front of my family's door to clear everything up.

Jubir Ivo : Saya tidak pandai berbasa-basi, Pak Rizal. Saya hanya ingin menyampaikan bahwa keponakan saya, Ivo, setuju.

Papa : Alhamdulillah...

That was more than a year ago's occurence. Sounds impossible? Well, not for our family. Not with my father's surprising style. Tee-hee-hee. Now, my brother is counting the days. My father looks completely different with his usual self; his face is very tense and sometimes seems very puzzled. My mother is drowning herself for the final preps, to be exact the food-related stuff. I'm no different than them, checking this and that, here and there. Only Citra and Era who look a little bit relaxed, living their daily life without burden. 

Talking about the final preps, two days ago, a lightning as if strucked us; the girls. My mother just picked our kebaya from the dressmaker. We must wear two different kinds of kebaya; for the reception at Solo and at home. And both of the kebaya were completely different from our orders. All of them were body-fitted. Gahhh...*frustrated*

The most ruined ones were mine. My mother were clueless about her daughter gaining a few kilograms this past two years. She used my old body size for my kebaya[s]. As a result, yeah...i barely able to breath wearing them. Alhamdulillah, we received our modified kebaya today. Well, still far from satisfying my mother, but they are better. I don't mind wearing them as long as i still own my privilege to breath while wearing them.

I hope everything goes well for this very first wedding our family have to bear. I'm excited as well as nervous to meet the D-Day. I couldn't imagine how is my brother's feelings. He must be bloody nervous.

***Papa : Mad, kau ade ke kenalan2, anak gadis Arab geye...yang kire2 seumuran ngan Gema?

Oom Amad : Tar lok, Jal. Mun kurase ade i...sigik. Anak kawan orang, ade die di Solo. Ngape kau tang padah2 geye? Gema dah nak minte kawin ke?

LATAH

Taiwan’s “bad” habits-routines I brought along home are listed as follows : 

1. Walking/Riding on the right side 

     During my first week in Jakarta, I was just traveled around by car, hitchhiking here and there either with my cousins, Oom, Tante or my father. Simply speaking, I was on my safe zone. Then, when I planned to see Panda, I finally met my challenge. BUS. Xixixi. I kept walking on the right side at transjakarta’s hub bridge. Still, I kept staring at people I’ve bumped as if that was their mistakes, -I am the right one and you are breaking the law!. Hahahaaaa…rusuh pangkat sembilan =)). 

     When I arrived at home and riding my motorcycle, I kept taking the right side as well. My sister never stopped hitting my back and shouted freakily [“Ya Allah, Mbak….ambil kiri!!! Sini aku aja yang di depan. Nanti kita kecelakaan lg. Gawat ini kalau Mbak Bunga bawa motor sendiri. Ck ck ck…”]. Mwahahaaaa…kacauuuu…. 

2. Passing the curfew without feeling guilty

“Nak, dimana sekarang? Pulang lah…ini sudah malam”, texted my father. It was 7pm. Having lived freely without curfew for two years, I forgot the curfew my father had set. My brother used to accompany me if I wanted to go somewhere at night. I never wandering around alone after the sun have set. In Taiwan? I always go to the lab at 10 p.m or so, come back from my in-between-cities-activities very late and such. If my father only knew about those things...xixixi. 

3. Ironing? What is that?

"Bung, kok kamu jadi zuhud [read : gembel] gini sih sekarang?", teased my friend in one session of our reunion. Feels quite convenient with no-ironed-clothings and flip-flop to meet people, i am no longer the old me -crispy clothings-mary jane-or-sneakers-or-flat slingback mania. I've tried to keep up with the old me during my first year in Taiwan, ironing my clothes and wearing appropriate footwear, but after that...hahaha...well, it's just happen to be like that. 


4. Fixed price? No way!
"Ga ada diskon untuk mahasiswa, Mbak?...Harganya ga bisa kurang?", asked me while holding a backpack at one of the sport outlet in one of the biggest malls in Jakarta. Hahaha...udah berasa di Beringharjo atau Malioboro aja pake nawar2 segala :)). Well, in Taiwan, we can bargain and get a discount even at Shinkong Mitsukoshi, the most prestigious shopping mall. The price can be reduced max. 10 % of its price tag. We just have to be "muka tembok" and set the most innocent face =p. Give it a try :D....

Priceless

If anybody ever asks me how does it feel to gather with my family after two years living abroad, I will answer in one simple word. PRICELESS. We seldom feel grateful about things in our surroundings; things we see, meet and feel every day. But once those things are taken away from us, we’ll soon realize how precious they are. Having lived with my family for almost the rest of my life, at first, I sense freedom when the Letter of Acceptance from NCYU arrived. “Yes!!! Finally I’ll be able to taste my independence”, that was my thought two years ago. After stepped my feet in Taiwan and living my life there, misery is what I feel. I am completely hopeless when it comes to adapting and adjusting with the new environment. Takes longer than the average ones. Well, somehow, I manage myself alive until now. That’s a good sign. Xixixi…

So, after have a reunion with my family for the first time in two years and celebrated eid el fithr with them, I keep reciting “alhamdulillah” in every single second of my “togetherness” with them. I still remember my mother picked me up at the airport with her misty eyes. Not to mention that I was very lucky Sunett and Kneeta also spared their busy schedule to meet me there. Life couldn’t get any better. A few days later, a warm hug from my father, the person I missed the most, completed the joy of family gathering. The holy eid el fithr’s hype took me to the top of gratefulness-happiness. Unbelievably precious episodes.