After a year of many return trips to Medan, this last one was my best trip ever. Short trip (touched down at Polonia Airport about 9.45 local time on Thursday 4th October 2007 and left on Saturday morning at 8.45 am). That left me with only exactly 1 day in Medan.
Anyway it was both business and leisure trip all in one.
Bought the ticket to Medan basically to deliver some money to a friend who joined me in a business venture earlier during the year. Even though my plane tickets and the hotel cost more than the money due, but it was having the satisfaction of clearing my conscience by delivering what was due to someone. After all, aidilfitri was just slightly over a week away.
To begin with, met this gentleman Mr Navin Kini which I wrote earlier. Real pleasure knowing a fine guy like him.
SISINGAMARAJAH ROAD
The Hotel Garuda Plaza was strategically located along Jalan Sisingamarah and it permeated a warm feeling the moment we walked in.Felt at home almost immediately.
The following morning met Marwan, the guy who drove Mr Navin Kini to Lake Toba. He looked like a fine guy as well.
Later in the afternoon a friend came over and it was nice to let him know that meeting him was of no business interest at all but pure friendship.
And he just had a new baby boy who was only 3 days old. Went to the maternity hospital and had a peek of his baby boy. And God always created babies to be super cute! His was no exception.
Later in the evening, went to Medan's Ramadan Fair right smack on the street in front of the Maimun Mosque. The atmosphere was pure magic. Just love the feeling in the air with people walking around leisurely preying for the right food from the right stall.
ENTRANCE TO RAMADAN FAIR
RAMADAN FAIR, MEDAN.
IT WAS A TRYING MOMENT TO WALK THROUGH...
Finally settled at a stall selling Nasi Padang. Barkah Stall. The food was not only good but so reasonably priced as compared to all my past experience in Medan.
The order takers, is something that we should learn about. But be careful, you would end up paying more than ordering the food from the respective stalls yourself! The bills do got inflated between the stalls and you!
THE STYLISH ORDER TAKERS
The owner, Mr Barkah, was a fine young gentleman. I developed a liking almost instantly after watching him treating customers and sitting down for a chat with us after our buka puasa (breaking our fast).
Apparently, his family busines is doing very well and they used travel to Kuala Lumpur quite a number of times sending their mom to a private hospital in KL, the Ampang Puteri.
Upon leaving I told him, to contact me in case he needs anything from KL or ever in KL again. We exchanged our contacts. Well, thought that was goodbye for this trip.
At around 10.00pm, Pak Subiyanto, Awal and another friend, finally appeared. Went for a drink across the road in front of the Garuda Plaza. Had a nice chat and felt so good delivering them the
money due, plus a bag of goodies for Subiyanto's kids and some samples of maca that I brought along.
I just wanted to establish the fact that friendship does not have to be based on any specific interest alone. Friendship is something to be enjoyed. That is the way I treasure and enjoy my friends irrespective of class, creed or what ever other definition others have about it. Could sense it in the air that message did finally get across.
And it was almost mid night after they left.
VIEW ACROSS THE ROAD FROM GARUDA PLAZA HOTEL
The adventure did not end yet for me. I read in a travel magazine about this special bone marrow soup called Sop Sumsum Langsa. Just curious. And so there I was again in front of the hotel by the road side looking for a becak (motorised trishaw) to get me the soup. And lo and behold a motorbike stopped. And there he was, Mr Barkah the new friend I made at The Ramadan Fair!
To cut long story short I was the next second his pillion rider taking me to the outlet which was something like 10 minutes away on a motorbike with no traffic in Medan. Even the ride with the cool night breeze was anything but theuraphatic. Enjoyed every minute of it like a small kid taken for a ride on dad's bike for the first time.
By the time we reached the outlet in Pasar Ikan in Gelugor, the restaurant was 98% closed. Only a few workers left packing their stuff into a van. But this great guy went to plead to get some for me telling them I was from KL and would be leaving the following morning. And he managed to talk his way into getting some takeaway for me.
And since soup would never be nice unless taken hot, he suggested I went along to his home. And this was a guy I made friend just a few hours earlier. I was a total stranger.
And so we went to his house. A huge family house. His wife and kids were asleep. And he took the trouble to reheat the soup for me.
About 20 minutes later, I had the experience of my life as far as soup was concerned. Used straw to suck the bone marrow and the soup was just out of this world! 20,000 rupiah for a soup was not that cheap, but it was worth every rupiah. If you ever go to Medan, remember, SOP SUMSUM LANGSA!!!
SOP TULANG SUMSUM LANGSA
It was almost 2.00 am by the time Barkah sent me back to the hotel. He quickly headed back to his food stall at the Ramadan Fair which was a few hundred meters away. That new friend of mine is definitely going to be a life long friend, I'll make sure of that. He created a very new meaning about Medan.
BARKAH, MY GODSENT FRIEND!
Terima kasih banyak-banyak Adik Barkah. I appreciate every single second the time you gave me. I thanked God that some real good things in life like friendship, still comes free.
And the following morning at the airport I bumped into Wulandri and Lina at one of the Souveneir shops at the Polonia Airport. Was so impressed at the way they were treating a couple of ladies. And I ended having a seat and a good chat with them. At least that eased the pain a little on my ribs, from my nasty fall in the bath tub earlier in the morning.
LINA AND WULANDARI, POLONIA AIRPORT
Apart from that nasty fall I had which still hurts until today, this trip was no doubdt the best ever to Indonesia, not only Medan. It gave a warm feeling now, unlike before which made me glad to leave Indonesia as soon as possible every time I was there.
To Barkah and the rest in Medan, Selamat Menyambut Idulfitri. Maaf zahir batin, mudah-mudahan semakin murah rejeki...
Salam Idulfitri...
Yours truly,
m.a.
No comments:
Post a Comment