Sunday, November 14, 2010

People and The City

"Getting to know people is like visiting countries in the world. You fall in love with one or two, but you can't stay long enough if the country doesn't issue a visa. So you can only marvel its beauty from outside, take an afternoon walk, evening drive, hoping someday you won't need a map."
- Ramda Yanurzha


This is another story from my life in Denmark. This time no more complaints, definitely! The first two months dealt with culture shock, social status, loneliness, and long list of complaints, made me strong enough to stand on my own feet without worry about anything. Now comes another phase of settling in, which is getting to know people.

I left this page unwritten for a month and a half. Along that time, many things have happened, even though they come and go. Being alone for a while let me have enough space for myself, for me to understand myself better. I've been friend with myself ever since. How nice. :) So, the thing that I wanted to have friends like my wish in the beginning was not so important anymore. But then, one by one people came to my life. Some continued their journey and some stayed.


I was so grateful that some of my friends helped me a lot in my first encounter with Denmark. How they always listened to my complaints. How they tried to ensure me that everything would be ok. How they trusted me that I could get through this. It was just so nice of them. I even got to meet two of them, and I was extremely happy to meet familiar face in a complete stranger world. Then I know that they are my best friends for life. No question asked.

Then I got the chance to meet another Indonesian people in the living fairy tale city, Copenhagen. One was my former boss and the other was a guy who hosted my friend back in Jakarta. I barely talked to my former boss before, but here we became good friends. Since we were far away from country. And he gave me so much input. Same story with the other guy, I never met him in Jakarta, but here all the conversation went like we knew each other for ages. How interesting it is when you meet someone who speak the same language outside the country, then all of sudden you just feel.. at home.


That was with some people whom I knew already. But they had to continue their journey, it was sad but on the other hand I knew that we have each other in our memories and will support each other in everything we do. We're hopping that our path will cross again someday.

Even far away from the country, I try to manage to keep in contact with my friends back home. Though with the time difference is not that easy. Again, the time when I was alone gave me another perspective on how I see friends. I realized that now I know better know about my friends back home. They are my very good friends, but then I know that some are just friends when we're together, some are just friends when they need me, some are just friends for some particular issues, and some are friends for life to stand by each other even we're far away. But above all, they are still my very good friends anyway and will remain the same forever.

I love getting to know people. I feel so blessed that now I can get to know people better. It's just because now I know myself better. So I can see another people more clearly. :)

Like in my first paragraph, now I'm entering the phase of settling in which is getting to know people. Since I already knew some people here, aside of my host family of course, it's the time for me to make friends. Generally speaking, they are friends, of course, but in different term. I just know them, but they're super nice. I like them. And as for me, I know that there are some people who just can give me good impression that make me feel that they are gonna be my good friends. I felt it with one or two people here.


Since now I'm here, then I need to follow the rules of the game here. It's not my country where I can easily make friends because I know the mentality of the people there, more or less. It could be a little bit difficult, but I'm sure it won't be an obstacle as long as I'm just being who I am and doing good to people.

The best thing about getting to know people is somehow you can get so much input which really suit to your life condition that time, even though the people who tell you that do not realize or do not even mean to give you something. Anyhow as long as you open yourself for new opportunities and chances, then you will receive something good that you never thought. It is a surprise, like a box of chocolate. ;)