surat ke- 5 bulan Mei 2005

5) The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, May 29, 2005

Friday, 20 May 2005
ORLANDO VACATION (1st Day)
At 11 a.m. Alejandro and Petrus dropped me off to Midway airport in Chicago and I flew by Southwest to MCO-Orlando in Florida. I got the on-line ticketless two months ago and it's really cheap, only $ 125 roundtrip. As usual getting in the airport, I have to go through tight security checking. Interesting to experience flying by Southwest airlines because the system is unique especially to get in to cabin since I had checked-in via Internet very early in the middle of the night, I got group A, which has privilege to enter the cabin first and choose a seat whatever I want. The employees of the airlines are wearing casual clothes, no uniformity at all, particularly the stewardesses. The flight number 2053 from Chicago to Orlando started sharp on time at 1.15 p.m. and we arrived earlier 10 minutes than the due time. It's about 2 hours and 45 minutes. I arrived at MCO Orlando airport at 5 p.m. at local time and I had to wait about 35 minutes and finally Cik Ana picked me up by her 91's Mercedes Benz. I was accepted very well by this Indonesian family. I never met her before but it seems that they are familiar to me since I know very well her father in Indonesia. We went directly to her house which they just occupied two weeks ago. It's a new house in a real estate of Kissimmee, southern Orlando. At the house I met Koh Siok Gin, her husband from Solo, Indonesia. Cik Ana is originally from Madiun, my hometown. They have been living in the USA since early 1980's and most of their time in Fresno, California. They just moved away to Florida this year. We talked to in Indonesian and they are speaking fluently with bold Javanese accent in our local language but I am more comfortable speaking in Indonesian since I respect them as older brother and sister. In lowest Javanese language it seems to me is proper for my level age or very closed friend but since they are older and I just met them, so most of the time I speak in Indonesian, even though they are speaking Javanese with Chinese descent accent as usual I have in my own family in Indonesia. It's my mother language, though, that I speak with my father and siblings.

The house is pretty clean, new and beautiful. In the evening they planted some plants in front of the house and behind of the house there is a small lake and seems some other houses are in the process of finishing. The weather in Orlando is very warm, about 80's degrees Fahrenheit. Koh Siok Gin and Cik Ana are such persons who like to accept others openly, so I feel at home at their house. They told me that I'm the first guest of their new house....They are talkative, so I am driven to talk much as well even though I told them that basically I'm a quiet person. Meeting with people from my own area and eating the same food like in Indonesia, led me to feel such as I am coming home in Indonesia. They are Catholic and only have one daughter, Arlen who studies in a college in California. Actually, I ever met her when she lived and studied at High School in Sang Timur, close to MBK church in Jakarta for two years. At that time, I visited Om Tjin Ting, Cik Ana's father and I saw Arlen also stayed there. It's about 1997 in the early years of my pre-novitiate and novitiate in the Xaverians, Jakarta. So, practically, Ana and Gin live by themselves and they know some Indonesian family around this area. Even, one family whom they know is a family of Rita Padawangi. Pak Ben Oei is Rita's uncle. Gin works at Hilton Hotel in Orlando and Ana works at Walt Disney. At night we had supper at this house, Indonesian and Chinese food, leftover that they were so delicious to my appetite. They allow me to use this computer and Internet, so I still keep touch with some penpals via e-mail and keep writing my weekly journal.
Overall, I enjoy my first day my visit to this family and my summer vacation. I'm grateful to God and to this family who have accepted me so kindly.

Saturday, 21 May 2005
KISSIMMEE - ORLANDO (the 2nd Day)
After sleeping restfully at night, my first night in Florida, even though bit tired I woke up early in the morning as the alarm clock was ringing at 5.15 a.m. and it's still dark outside. At 6.30 a.m. the dawn is already appeared and the light of the street I saw through the window in the room I stay, was off. Cik Ana offered me toast bread and Koh Gin has already made a cup of coffee for me. At 7 a.m. with Ana, I went to J.W. Marriot Hotel in which she applied a job. While I was waiting for her in an interview, I could say my morning breviary prayer, sitting at a bench at the aisle where I saw many employees coming and going through and most of them uttering "Good Morning" to me. It's so different with Chicago, here people like to say greeting to others even though we don't know each other. At least, it is my own experience so far. After a while, Cik Ana came out and she's accepted to this job. She took me home at "Little Creek" and staying this whole morning at this house and trying to reflect on my yesterday experience and jotting down on this computer through journal provided by multiply.com. Being alone at this house, I am just relax and writing and writing this journal....just enjoy this great vacation while Gin and Ana work on this Saturday till evening. On the way home this morning, we stopped by a Catholic Church, named, Holy Cross and saw the Mass schedule for tomorrow, Sunday.

Sunday, 22 May 2005
This morning Cik Ana and I attended Sunday Mass at 7.30 at the Lady of Mary the Queen of universe, close to EPCOT (Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow). It’s a beautiful church built for tourists who visit Walt Disney, as I share my pictures. What I often heard during the Mass, the priest who presided the Mass always saying, “As generous as you can, please donate your money…for the maintenance of this wonderful shrine.” The whole day I was here enjoying a lot of attractions this place offers. As I see at the first glance, the majority of people who are coming to this pleasure place are Caucasians from all over the world, children, young couple and teenagers. Many things I experienced are great, but I felt that this kind of gladness and amazement I just experienced by myself. In order to share this kind of great place, I took some pictures that depict my journey to this expensive and the only place in this planet. Through my pictures, on this special journal I share my pictures plus comments as follows:

Monday, May 23, 2005.
This morning Cik Ana took me to Magic Kingdom and she went to work at Typhoon Lagoon. I spent this day until night at this place and once again Cik Ana found me at night after she finished her work. We watched parade in front of the castle of Cinderella. I think this Magic Kingdom is the biggest place compared to other parks because we have to reach to this place either by ship or monorail. Before we went home, we ate supper at late night at McDonald and arrived home almost midnight.

Tuesday, May 24, 2005.
Once again today I spent my whole day at a park, named MGM Studio and at night almost 9 p.m. Cik Anna found me at Fantasmic attraction, firework and laser performance with fountain plus parade. At night we had supper at Taco Bell.

Wednesday, May 25, 2005.
Since I felt fed up and bit tired experiencing three consecutive days visiting three different parks at Walt Disney, I decided not to go to any other parks, instead I just followed Cik Anna to Milenia Mall, flee market shopping souvenirs, and downtown Disney. In the evening we met Koh Gin after he worked at New China Buffet to have supper together. Today we went home earlier after shopping at Walt Mart just opened.

Thursday, May 26, 2005.
This day, I just stayed at home, relaxing, cleaning the house to prepare prayer for blessing the home this evening and taking care of my own clothes (laundry) plus transferring pictures I took when I visited three parks by the digital camera of Koh Gin. At 8.30 p.m. I led the prayer of home blessing at this house. Pak Ben and his wife, Ignasia, were coming as witnesses. Since this month, May, is month of Mary, so I offered them to watch VCD about shrines of Mary in Indonesia especially in Java and Sumatera Islands, about 30 minutes and we continued with supper. It lasted till midnight. Then, I did check-in my flight via Internet of Koh Siok Gin, Southwest Airlines to get boarding pass for tomorrow morning.

Friday, May 27, 2005.
At 8.15 a.m. Cik Anna took me to MCO airport. I departed from Orlando at 10.20 a.m. by Southwest, flight number 2956. I arrived in Chicago at noon and took CTA bus no. 55 and arrived home at Hyde Park at 1.45 p.m. while I saw Ignatius was cutting the grass in front of our house. The weather in Chicago was so nice, not too hot like in Orlando or Kissimmee. The flight was about 2.5 hours and I had chance to take pictures in the air and when it was landing. In the afternoon and night I transferred my pictures to computer and Internet, sent them via shutterfly.com.

Saturday, May 28, 2005.
In the morning at 10 o’clock, my classmate at the Xaverians, named Chuy left for Mexico. So, now I am left by both of Mexican classmates who were together with me studying English in Milwaukee and Chuy also studied for two years in Chicago. I received all of this experience, being left alone by my classmates and to see this journey as a mystery and I just surrender to God’s hands. Whatever one decides, I believe that God always loves and accompanies all of us regardless our status or our vocation.

In the afternoon at 3 p.m. we attended priesthood ordination of eight SVD students at Techny-Illinois. There are two Indonesians, Father Sonny and Francis. Sonny will go to his mission in Angola-Africa and Francis to Hungary. There were a lot of Indonesians coming to this solemn celebration presided by Archbishop of Milwaukee, Timothy Dolan. We took pictures with both newly ordained priests and had hospitality at the cafeteria, at the basement, plus music and dance of Indonesian friends here after most other people left this place. I met a Holy Spirit Sister from Indonesia (SSpS) who knows Maryono in Mexico City. She is Sister Magdalene, studying English for one year in the USA. Together with Harno, Mas Renus and Mbak Sari plus their son, Nevan, took us to our home at Hyde Park and they stayed overnight at our theology house, as we had already planned last month. Again I transferred my pictures to shutterfly.com.

Sunday, May 29, 2005.
At noon at Saint Therese Church in Chinatown, we celebrated a big celebration, the first Mass of Father Sonny and Francis, SVD’s. There were 7 other SVD priests took part at this Mass, and 6 of them are Indonesians who work in the USA as missionaries. I think all of them from Flores Island where the majority are Catholics. The preacher of this Mass was an Afro-American priest, Father Charles from Indiana. Deacon Petrus, SX also took part at this Mass as well as I was asked to serve as the only altar server. We continued the hospitality at the basement with special food prepared by Ibu Imelda Palmas and others. At the end of the lunch, spontaneously, I was asked to read poems written by Ibu Imelda Palmas. Without preparation and with confidence I tried my best to proclaim this message and fortunately, I did well as some friends tore their tears down. Usually, I get nervous when I speak in front of audience but at that time, nothing I felt negatively, just being myself and expressed my hidden talent that I used to cultivate in my junior high school (competition of reading poetry) and high school taking part of theater/play.

At 6.15 p.m. at our chapel, Petrus led the evening prayer together with our guests from Saint Therese plus three other Indonesian friends. We continued this farewell gathering for Petrus with supper. This is the last night of Petrus after living in the USA five years studying English and theology at CTU and tomorrow he will return to his own home country, Indonesia to continue his journey as deacon and priest in the Xaverian Missionaries Congregation. As usual, I put my pictures again at shutterfly.com.

Monday, May 30, 2005.
Today is the national holiday in the USA, the Memorial Day. After Mass at 6.30 a.m. and breakfast, at 8 a.m. we accompanied Petrus and Ignas to O’Hare aiport. They departed to Indonesia at 11.35 by Japan Airlines and they will arrive in Jakarta on Wednesday, June 1, 2005 at 5 p.m. Ignas will return to Chicago in the middle of August 2005 to continue his theology studies. Good luck Petrus…see you next week, when you will be ordained priest, and I will be witnessing you in Indonesia, hopefully, as I plan to go for vacation next year in June-August 2006. Keep in touch with me…..my greetings to all there….