summer trip : DAY 02

LATE NIGHT TRAIN?

Again, we overslept. I mean, just us lads. We were supposed to be meeting in the lounge at 8.15 am. We managed to get out of the hotel at about 9.15 am. It was drizzling. The weather was cold. So I had to put on my insufficient jacket. It was just like a winter in Jordan.

We reached the RER train station but the ticket counter was not opened. So we had to go to a nearby Metro station, Gabriel Peri to buy the ticket. The girls went to a nearby petrol station asking for a little guide. Fortunately, a black guy named Kamil helped us through. He brought us to the station with his own multi-purpose vehicle. I think he is an African. His long experience working at the petrol station really helped his spoken English. He even escorted us to buy the ticket. He’d been such a great help.


We arrived at the Opera Museum early. It was not opened yet. So we decided to go for a walk at La Madeleine with the help of maps. There is a church named The Madeleine Church. I think this was my second time entering a church. The first one was the great church in Vienna. I don’t really know the story behind the church but it is indeed a large church. I peeped onto a room and saw like a baptism ceremony, because I could see a priest and many children.


As planned, we later turned back for the Opera Museum. I was thrilled to have the chance of being in the Opera hall or whatever you called it. Just like in the movie. All of my travel mates already have some knowledge about the hall because they’ve read The Phantom of The Opera. I unfortunately was clueless. Just some vague ideas. But it was a great chance entering the box.


After that, we headed for the Musee de Louvre. You must’ve some idea about this museum. The place holds the honor to exhibit the portrait of Mona Lisa and many other arts like paintings and statues. The museum is unexpectedly huge. We realized it was impossible to finish all the three wings in a day. So we just went straight for the portrait of Mona Lisa. We were hoping to take a look at the Arts of Islam portion. Alas, it was closed for renovation.


We had a little quest inside this extremely huge museum. Malik had asked Danial to find a number of paintings and statues. That really was a tiring task. We found only few of them then ran out of energy. We gave up and exited the museum.


We then took a metro and stopped at a station called Place Monge. We were planning to visit the Great Mosque of Paris. Upon arrival, we didn’t linger much as we were greeted by people who at their notion knowing we were looking for the mosque. Their cordiality had been such great help. We had the chance to perform our Zohor prayer at the mosque.

It is the largest mosque in France and the third largest in Europe. Founded after the World War I, it represents the gratefulness of the French towards the Muslims for their help in battling the German. Then we dropped by at a maktabah in front of the mosque. I bought few non-alcoholic perfumes made in Paris.


After that, we rode the metro and stopped at a station which I don’t quite remember where it is. We actually went there to fill in our empty singing hungry tummy. Walked and walked, we finally found a street with Halal restaurants. I ordered sandwich Adana. Man, it was a relief though I didn’t have an idea what kind of sandwich it is. I think it must be from Turkey. Or it isn’t?

Zohor? Done. Lunch? Done. So we headed back to our hotel and went out again after Maghrib which was about 10.15pm. Summer in Europe is really interesting. Like always, days are way longer than nights. I think it’s longer than we have in Jordan.

Subuh : 3.30 am +/-
Zohor : 2.00 pm +/-
Asar : 6.10 pm +/-
Maghrib : 10.15 pm +/-
Isya’ : 12.05 am +/-

We wanted to have a night view of the most popular building standing in Paris, the Eiffel Tower. It was very magnificent. With all the lights surrounding the tower, it looked just glamorous. Just when we were about to leave the tower, the tower was suddenly illuminated with scattered glittering white lights. I looked at the time and it was 12.00 am. A flickering Eiffel! It was super cool!!!

This very beautiful night was cut short by the transport problem. The last RER train going to Les Gresillons was at 12.00 am, just when we were admiring the glittering show at the tower. Haha. So we went after the Metro to reach any station near enough to our hotel. All we could think of was the station Kamil brought us to that morning, Gabriel Peri.

Oh and we met an Indonesian on our way back. His name is Budi Faisal. I think he said he’s working in Germany or something. He just had a ride up in the Eiffel Tower that night. We talked a lot and he’s a very nice and polite guy.

The hard part was to get to the hotel. We didn’t have any map in hand as Gennevilliers is an outskirt area and I’ve got only the central Paris map. We depended on our hunches plus some vague memories from that morning. It was almost 1.30 am. I’ve started to worry about the security issue. The night was so silent. Worse, it was unexpectedly freezing cold. It was the wind.


We were very lucky to have met a couple and asked for directions. They can’t speak English so we were using the international language of all. The signs. Haha. The more compassionate scene was when they were willing to turn their way back just to guide us to the accurate direction. It was very late indeed. The night didn’t just end there. We went apart at a junction and we went clueless again though they did left us with the directions which can be easily understood if we speak French. We had no choice but to believe in what we thought we understood. Steps after steps, there it was. Our beloved hotel. Wow, that was a relief.

I was quite disappointed by myself today. I was getting better but was still sick. I didn’t help much. I couldn’t talk much. I had a partly impaired hearing and a voiceless throat. It sucked!

to be continued...

summer trip : DAY 01

JOURNEY TO THE WEST
I felt sick. I was indeed sick. Worse, I would be traveling with a handkerchief always in my hand. I lost my will to travel. My fever did indeed take away the excitement I should be feeling. I’ve got no enough strength left that day that I asked Faiz to substitute me. I even offered him to support the online payment which I’ve already paid earlier. That was quite an amount. Like hundreds. That was an irrationalized idea sparked from crossfire inside my aching head. Heh. I was too wired for anything at the moment. But then he reminded of the name on the flight ticket booked.

Argh! I got no choice. So I packed my things last minute that night. I felt guilt though since I didn’t prepare much for the visits in Belgium which agreed to be obliged on me. Accepting the fact that I’d be inevitably gone traveling for 10 days, I set my energy back. I was grateful though that I didn’t get sick during the exams.

Abu Seif is just like his brother, (he is, right?) Abu Khalil. He’s punctual. Or at least he was being one that night. Few minutes are considerably forgiven. Syamil followed us. He got his aunt coming to Jordan. From Hijazi, the multi-purpose vehicle went to Zam Zam picking up the 3 girls. Oh okay, as you prefer; akhawat.

Just after finishing the Subuh prayer, we rushed for the flight though we in fact waited another few minutes before the check-in counter opened. The flight took only an hour to Larnaca, Cyprus. It was my first time stepped my foot on the land of Cyprus. I was a little bit discomfort by the environment. The atmosphere is different from Jordan. I couldn’t see any women covering their hair. I kept asking myself, are we in Europe yet? The toilets are devoid of water. I’ve read that Cyprus is the very first country governed by Christian nobles when the Pope visited there like many years ago.

The transit area is not much. Like always, there are the duty free shops. I took quite a nap while waiting. When I woke up, I felt embarrassed of myself as I couldn’t see any other sleepers. I just couldn’t understand how people managed to just seating there for hours doing nothing. Not even reading or eating. They were just waiting. Or is it just me who sleeps anywhere? LOL


The boarding time was delayed few minutes. We left Cyprus. On the plane, I quite entertained myself with some movies provided. We also got to fill our hungry tummy with Halal foods as we requested. We reached Paris at almost 1.30 pm. The sky was cloudy. But bright. Not so hot though it was supposed to be summer. Unlike my first journey to Europe last January, the immigration affair was easy this time. We didn’t receive such irritating questions like I did before.

From the Charles de Gaulle (CDG) Airport, we headed for Gare du Nord, the north station. I’ve already expected the blurring we had when we arrived at the station like I did in Vienna. Heh. Luckily there were so many people trying to help us buying the metro/train tickets to Les Gresillons. That’s where our hotel is located, Gennevilliers. A suburb northwestern of Paris. Kind of an outskirt.


We stayed in Hotel F1. The concept is like a hostel with outside shared bathrooms and toilets. The hotel is great. The rent is cheap after all, quite satisfying. Each room is locked with a code rather than the stereotype keys. Heh. So we have to memorize the room specific six-numbered code given.


I wasn’t enjoying myself this first day actually. I caught a cold and sore throat. I’ve lost my voice so I let Danial do most of the talking. I coughed a lot. Headache comes and goes. Most interrupting, my ear. I felt like something was blocking and pushing my ear drum inside. The pressure hurt like hell. My hearing was partly impaired. I self-diagnosed myself as being infected by some kind of bacteria causing my flu, sore throat and this indescribable pain in my ear. I think I had a common cold which then brought me pharyngitis which then disseminated into my ear causing Otitis. I checked my ear up till the ear drum and it was clear. The problem must be something inside. It was like a puzzle. It could be Haemophilus Influenza. So much for medicine. Heh.

The plan was supposed to be river cruising. But thanks to us lads who overslept, it was canceled. I still have the guilty for that. Sorry guys. Hehe.

to be continued...

23 FACTS

I know somebody may say this is lame. But anyway, these are just few facts I could notice about myself. This is from my point of view and I couldn't agree more that some people may see me from a different angle.

1) I don't drink milk or anything that looks or smells like milk. I vomit the last time I tried (or was forced actually).

2) I am okay in simple Mathematics but I'm bad in Physics which require understanding before calculations. I just can't do maths based on understanding. I passed my Maths in my school just because I memorized and followed the steps. I freak out every time I see numbers in my medical subjects. I’m not that radiant to be able to combine numbers and words. Is there any term such number-phobic?

3) My family always recognizes me as a careless person. CUAI!!! But it's the opposite when being around my friends. They usually recognize me as this systematic and meticulous person with all the details. I myself don't even know which one describes me better.

4) I hate myself when dealing with people. I tend to ignore people just because I will feel inferior when talking with people. Communication skills will always be my weakness. I think people have every right to hate me for my sorry behavior.

5) No matter how bad a movie is, as long as it's based on a true story, I will always enjoy and acknowledge it as a great production. I watched fictions and I ended up accusing the producers were cheating on me. It was like I was fooled.

6) My father is a smoker but never said anything about smoking. He neither allows nor forbids. I wonder what his reaction’s going to be IF he EVER found out his son too, is a smoker. Thank God I don’t do smoking.

7) I don’t do well in Physics and anything involving calculations. So I chose Medicine because Biology had the least calculations back in school. To be frank, my ambition ever since my primary school until Form 3 was to be a teacher.

8) I can easily get influenced and obsessed with something.

9) I never really remember the prices after I bought something. If any exceptions, I remembered them just because somebody would ask about it then I would have to prepare to please them with a real precise answer.

10) When I was 15, I realized I didn't know how to smile. Since then, I practiced smiling in front of mirrors. I stretched my mouth with my hand while practicing it. Can you believe it?

11) I think I'm emotionless. My teacher once stated that. This must have to do with my smiling disability. Is that an anomaly?

12) I had my first huge crush when I was 14. NO, nothing happened. You know me, keeping things to myself then suffers. Heh.

13) I love fishes more than other meats or even chickens. This must has to do with the way my family grew me up. We eat fishes every day. Chickens and Meats will be bought only for special occasion. I learnt to eat chicken when I was in the hostel. But I still have fishes on top of my list.

14) I'm an indecisive person. That's why I prefer being with decisive people so they can all rule things out for me.

15) I am a perfectionist in my way of working. But I’m just too concealed to show that. So I prefer working behind the scene.

16) I think I get mad hardly. Or if any, I don’t really express it. But I can get sad on little things easily. Sometimes I just don’t understand myself. I was angry on something, but I turned out expressing sadness and frustration. What does that mean actually? Maybe my angry gene has been mutated to express sadness.

17) I’m not really into games. So I just got movies, series and internet as distractions.

18) I acknowledge myself as a good team player but honestly, I don’t see myself as a team leader. I follow rules, I don’t do ruling. Maybe just don’t yet.

19) I talk crap when I’m stressed or kind of pissed off. I will just blow any words appear in my mind without thinking. If you ever feel like you’ve seen a different side of me talking too much, that was just the way I expressed my stressfulness.

20) I enjoy being a victim. Hell yeah. That’s absurd eyh?

21) I’m a loner. Or at least I believe it. It's not because I don't like people. I just don't like the presentation of myself in front of people. A self confident issue actually.

22) I have a thing with caps. I feel more confident walking with a cap on top of my head. Again, it’s a self confident issue.

23) I nearly got kicked out of my evening session religious school when in standard 5. I was 13. I guess I played truancy well enough just to be kicked out. My mother had to contact the officer at District Religious Office just to get me seated in the final exam. Thank God, it worked out and I graduated with 1st Grade. Then I successfully passed the Darjah Khas.

[ in a train - Paris :D ]

So was it pathetic enough?

let me go home

This is just a tribute to my hometown, Muar. eh. Tribute? Any word will do. haha...
Please ignore any romantic crap you sense in the song. If any. I just want to focus on the coming-home theme. haha...

Another summer day
has come and gone away
in Paris and Rome
but I wanna go home
Home...

May be surrounded by
a million people I
still feel all alone
Just wanna go home
I miss you, you know

And I've been keeping all the letters
that I wrote to you
Each one a line or two
I'm fine baby, how are you

I would send them but I know
that it's just not enough
My words were cold and flat
and you deserve more than that

Another aeroplane
another sunny place
I'm lucky I know
but I wanna go home
I got to go home

Let me go home
I'm just too far from where you are
I wanna come home

And I feel just like I'm living
someone else's life
It's like I just stepped outside
when everything was going right

And I know just why you could not come
along with me
This was not your dream
but you always believed in me

Another winter day
has come and gone away
in either Paris or Rome
and I wanna go home
Let me go home

And I'm surrounded by
a million people I
Still feel alone
Let me go home
I miss you, you know

Let me go home
I've had my run
baby I'm done
I gotta go home
Let me go home
It'll all be alright
I'll be home tonight
I'm coming back home

[bando Muo]

[bus station]

[a magnificient view from the river]

[a mosque just across the river]

credit goes to Wikipedia. LOL

p/s I strongly deny any attempt of saying this entry as some sort of home sick. The hell it's! haHHa!

of trap, exit and escape

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
two roads diverged in a wood, and I --
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

- Robert Frost

This rutted route,
I'm well aware
of the snubbed ground
I'm standing on.

One more smile I fake,
I'm a plastic.
One more notch I make,
Then I'm a broken plastic.

If a broken plastic is what I'm destined to become,
so be it.
If surrender is the word,
then let it be so.

Exhausted by this perpetual fight,
the continuous vexation is no longer a choice.
It was an option
which later became the fate.

- inspired -

Millions of copies of it are in circulation.
Day and night,
it is ceaselessly recited.
In homes,
in mosques,
and from pulpits.
Voluminous exegetical works exist
expounding its meaning.
Words pour out
incessantly to explain its teachings
and to exhort us to love by it.

Brotherhood

The believer is friendly, and easy to befriend. And there is no good in the person who does not befriend and does not get befriended.

{ Musnad Imam Ahmad }

I just came back from Austria yesterday. It was a wonderful journey. I never thought myself would travel to Europe especially all by myself. This had been a real travel. Not just a vacation.

Before reaching Austria, I've been thinking about how life would be as a Muslim traveling in Europe. I feel really lucky to have been sent to Jordan to further my study in Medicine. Practicing Islam has been very easy in Jordan as it is a Muslims country.

Mosques are everywhere.
No doubts when eating.
and so on...

In Europe, it'd been quite a new experience.
You can't expect to find any prayer room in public. If any, it would be the prayer room for Christians. I mean, it's like a church.

Dogs are everywhere. So it's kind of doubtful to perform prayer in any public areas.

That was one thing.

Another thing is about foods.

It was quite tempting actually seeing seafood or chickens or lambs or any meats or even salads. I was being too careful in eating. As if all of their foods contain wine. Well you can't blame me, because that was what I saw on televisions. Europeans like to put some wine on any of their dishes. Even Martha Stewart put some wine in her salad. haha...

About 9 days in Austria, my main menu each time was breads. haha...
I also brought some foods from Jordan. And luckily, I ought to find some Halal restaurants in Austria. They are usually Turkish restaurants with Kebab as their main menu. But still, you can't expect to just walk and suddenly found a Halal restaurant. It's not everywhere. I had to search on the internet for any Halal restaurants. haha...

The third aspect I would like to mention is about brotherhood in Islam.
Ukhuwwah Islamiah.
Or whatever you want to call it.

In my early journey in Austria, I kind of felt alone. I mean, it was like I was out there all by myself. There was nobody to refer to. Well don't misunderstand. Austrian people are very kind and helpful. But, it was like lacking of something.

In Salzbrug, I found Arabic words in a shop. It is indeed a shop owned by Arabs. And there was this feeling. It was like they are so close to me. The word is relieved. I don't know why. It was not like Austrian people are bad. To be true, they are wonderful people who are very friendly. But when I met any Muslims, there was this bond. It was different. We were like brothers. I got excited.

For all He has done to me, I'm very grateful for what I am.

It's true. Traveling is one of many ways to know people. And to realize how grateful we should be of ourselves.

I will try to upload some pictures here maybe next time. But it's not a promise though. huhu..

Thank you.

[ :: Abdullah :: Hidayat :: ME :: ]
Thanks for everything. It really was an exciting journey :)