Just a few days before new year, Harry, a very dear friend of mine rang me. It's been quite sometime since the last time we talked on the phone. As always, every conversation with him has always been very exciting (he's one of the craziest guys I've ever known!) and we just realized that it was already 10 years ago when we were striving together with other 9 Indonesian students to pursue a higher degree of education in the Netherlands.
Holland, 1995-1996.......more than just a memorable page in my life book, it's one of the milestones in my life. I wouldn't have thought to spend the first year of my marriage life being away from my husband, but as others say: good opportunity might not come twice in life. That is why I finally decided to challenge myself and took this opportunity to pursue my second degree in the Netherlands, the country which in fact is quite familiar to me for I had visited it several times for official duties. Overwhelming by the fact that I finally got a scholarship; one thing that I always dreamed of, and the fact that I had to leave my family especially my husband, really put me in a 'difficult' and confusing situation.
Yet, I never regret what I finally decided. Those years turned out to be one of the most memorable years in my life! That was the time I considered myself as the 'richest' person in the world. Having 62 classmates of over 20 nationalities, what more could you ask? You have friends from every corner of the world. Zang, Jeff and Gu from China ( I wonder where they are now, except Zang whom I know still reside in Beijing), Jorge from Cuba (, Harry's best smoking companion, the Cuban who adored 'rokok kretek' as much as he adored the famous Cuban cigar), Hank, Bill, Michael and Mark (the Americans who still confused me why chose Holland to study business administration for there is an abundance of business school in the US), Nandan and Amitabh (the Indian who always share the same spirit being the Asian people), Ntebo, Sada, Gram, Keis from South Africa (lucky me I got a chance visiting Ntebo in Johanesburg, my true dear friend, my gosipping and shopping companion), Angela (the sophisiticated Singaporean accountant who finally married Luc, our dear Dutch friend), Leno (my Ukranian neigbor for his room are next to mine, a very cute person who had an endless discussion on the existence of God with Asep, from Bdg- btw, Asep..you were really wasting your time!), Tatiana, Ando, and other friends from east Europe, Sandra, and Paul from Belgia (frequently being underestimated by the Dutch, the same case when we sometimes look down to the Malaysian for having a strange accent), and of course..the troop of all those Dutch friends: Petra, Luc, Rogier, Arno (once I had a fight with him over referring Indonesia as an 'artificial' country!), Albert (the Ducth who speaks better bahasa Indonesia than Asep, my sundanese friend, ha..ha..!!), Hubert, Sergio, Wibieke and..all those cute guys (Peter from Canada, Michael from USA, the guy from Sweden (forgot the name)) which made me blamed myself why came to Holland as a married woman, ha..ha...!! And..the name which always remains in my heart..Rosa...an incredible, strong woman, half Ecuadorian, half Spanish, who became my soulmate in sickness and health, I really miss you dear..! Last but not least my dear, dear Indonesian fellows: Harry Purnomo ( a beer freak, for this he really called Holland a home), Asep Winara (a real Bandungnese, who always played Nike Ardilla song,and my thesis partner), Lisa Kadarisman (the Ambassador's daughter, the youngest, yet very smart and cool), Faisal Muzakki (the overly confident guy, "mojokerto tembak langsung'), Firman Istiadi (an brilliant accountant whose room was always packed before every accounting or finance exam), Didiet Herawan ( a very well-planned guy), Budi Wuraskito (the man who dared to go out in winter only with a very thin jacket, now the Director of PT Dirgantara Indonesia), Sudarma (the guy who were called Sudarma Sudarma for not having the last name), Setiawan ( a very brilliant yet humble guy, also very young).
Holland, Nijenrode, Breukelen, Utrecht, Amsterdam,....are very special icons for me, as there are so many things I learned there. I learned how to challenge myself, I learned how to cope with difficult situation (studying here is what I refer as a 'real' studying, for a high pressure condition imposed by the programme, endless assignment, endless group work-almost everyday i got to sleep at 2 a.m!), I learned to give up all the luxuries I have (the only vehicle I had was my used red bicycle which always took me to supermarket, to train station, everywhere!), I learned to accept differences (coping with 62 people from different background was not as easy as I thought). Finally...everything paid off. I could finish my study on time, got the degree and there was a special 'bonus' accompanying the degree,...my pregnancy! Yes..in the last semester after spring break, I found myself pregnant! My husband who visited me for 'only' 8 days wouldnt have imagined that his short visit could result in an 'unexpexted outcome'. I was so terrified to death knowing the fact that I was left alone being pregnant, without a husband around, a family around, and not to mention all the academic burden I have to deal with, the thesis in particular. Rosa was the angel who helped me out: she helped me doing the groceries shopping, and a lot of other things (she was the one who bought me the test pack!). So...there I was walking with the tasle and robe to receive the diploma, 7 month pregnant!
Now, everytime I remember Nijenrode, Breukelen and Holland, only sweet memories that pass by. I really miss those moments. I got lucky having a chance revisiting the campus about two years ago after accompanying my husband in his Europe trip. There was not much difference I found. The castle and the lovely bridge are still there, the room I occupied has not changed much, the market in Breukelen is still selling the same stuff, the bus from Utrech is still no 120 and 124, the cannal in front of the campus is still lovely, the pannekoek huis is still there as well. Yet, there is one major difference, I could not find all my friends anymore, they are already spread all over the world, persuing their own career, ....making a better living. Once thing for sure...ten years after my heart is still left in Holland!
