I woke up quite late in the morning, had a quick shower and quick breakfast, me and my house/pilgrim-mate headed to our host church which is only 10 minutes of walk. We thought we already late for the morning prayer but apparently the prayer hadn't been started yet. When i was looking for a nice seat for me, accidentally my eyes dragged into one girl with typical and familiar hair and scarf. Apparently that girl also saw my coming, so we ran and hugged each other really really tight! It's the German girl whom i've met before in Manila ten months ago and in Manchester about two months ago. We already contacted each other about going and meet each other in Rotterdam, but we really surprised that we stay together in one host church! What a life! Then she told me that she's gonna be in the same discussion group with me. Wow!
After the beautiful morning prayer, which is i have to lead the singing and Our Father, there's one English guy came to me. Interesting what he said to me, "Hey, i know you. You're the Indonesian boy, right? Do you remember, we stayed together in the silence house during my time in Taize on 2008. But it's funny because i never heard your voice until now, of course because at that time we were in silence". Haha! What an interesting "pick-up" lines! Interesting isn't, how Taize connected people in such a way! Then we introduced our names and catching up about how we ended up here.
Being an animator for the discussion group isn't a new thing for me, since i've been an animator on my first week and an animator for the 15-16 years old group as one of my job in Taize. But it's two and a half years ago! Really, at this time i feel very nervous. Don't know exactly what to say so i just let it flow. If the people in the group quite easy to share then it made me easier, but this is the first day so i have to break the ice. I just think if i want to share something then more or less i have to know about this person. So i made a brief introduction not only about name and nationality but also how many European Meeting already been attended, already been in Taize or not, and such thing like that. The problem is, my work for the entire meeting in Ahoy is circulation team for the midday meal distribution so on the half of the discussion i have to leave earlier. Apparently i'm not the only one in the group who have to leave earlier, but almost half of the group! I don't know if i have to feel happy because i have companions or i have to feel bad because now the group gets smaller.
But then i see one familiar girl who holding the big sign of coordinator's name. I ran and hide to her to make sure she didn't realize about my coming. After quite close then i accelerate my run and stop exact in front of her and gave her a very very big smile! Her reaction was totally unpredictable; she threw up her big sign, holding her head with both of her hands showing a seeing-a-ghost expression, and moving backward like she didn't believe that it is real. After 5 seconds of the-most-surprising-moment, we hugged each other really really tight. Not only one, not only twice, but thrice! During my work as a coordinator for breakfast and tea team in Taize, this Polish girl the coordinator of the small washing up in the big kitchen which is we have to work together in one roof everyday in one week. And that week we really had so much fun, especially during the business of the meal distribution. I don't think she knew before about my coming to Rotterdam even i already posted it in facebook, since her expression is really really shocking :D
Get a very quick briefing by our coordinator, we headed to our kingdom, the biggest meal hall; Hall 6. As i expected before, we get our lunch before the other pilgrims because when the pilgrims get their lunch then we have to work really hard!
After a quick-unfinished lunch, we have to be in positions. Accidentally, i get the position as the string holder; to make a human-string rail to circulate people in particular directions. The idea is to fill the hall in a very corner then go forward and so on. Well, at the first time i thought that what a silly job; just to hold the string and make a way for the people. But later on, i realize that this kind of job is a very important to make sure there will be enough space for the pilgrims to sit on the floor and take their lunch. If there's no circulation team, then people can take a sit everywhere in the hall and there will be not enough space for about something-thousands young people to take their lunch nicely on the floor. So yeah, sometimes some job might a bit silly but if you understand the basic idea then you might think in a different way about your job. It's all about perspective, isn't? ;pQuickly i found out about what's the most fun part about this holding-string job; greeting people with a warm smile and saying "enjoy your meal" in every language as long as i can remember it. Worked in the big kitchen in Taize last 2008 made me learn about how to say "enjoy your meal" in several language. But now i only remember it in French, Spanish, and Italian so i have to refresh my memories. The good thing of doing this to every person that passed me is to see their reactions; many of them smiled, some of them laughed, and some of them greeted back to me in their own language. So i think i made their lunch time a bit different. Another good thing being the "circulator" plus "greeter" is you can see everyone's faces, includes your dear-old friends! Like this afternoon, i found my three dear-old friends already! Yeay!
Then i found out that being a circulator team isn't only about to circulate people in, but also to "circulate" people out! Yes, 15 minutes to the midday prayer, we invite the people to finish the lunch and go to the prayer halls. Usually, the team just telling the people but the Italian group in our team has different idea; to SING!
Seeing several (crazy) young people to sing and dance and walk around the hall, instead of leaving the hall, they became more attracted to stay in the hall to take a photo and watch us marching around the hall. It's so much FUN!
After the midday prayer finish, me and my two British friends decided to stay longer in the hall because we want to look and meet a friend of us. When the choir stopped to sing, we start to looking around the hall. This friend is one of the Indonesian permanent in Taize and from the information i've got he's in charge for this prayer hall, so he's got to be here somewhere. After desperately looking and shouting his name, i tried to look behind the decoration and found him! As usual, i gave the best of my hug. Yes, i've met him in Manila for the first time, then when we're at Jakarta, he used to join the Taize prayers in my parish along with his friends. The good thing is, after he left to Taize, his friends still come and join the prayer every month in my parish.
Not only him, i also surprised one brother who seems to be responsible in this prayer hall as well. Then accidentally, this Italian guy bumped on me said that he already hear about me from the Indonesian permanents and very glad to meet me in person. Wow. So we introduced each other and had a very nice conversation, then we exchange contact details. I'm still quite amaze how Taize connected people in mysterious ways.
After booked my return ticket back to London, i went to the workshop about L'Arche community. I know i'll be late for half an hour but still it's a worth to visit since i always interested in L'Arche community in every part of the world. Glad i decided not to give up this workshop and still came even it's already quite late, since the workshop is really beautiful! The residents tells their testimony, along with their parents, then they're singing and dancing some songs.
There's one beautiful thing about this evening prayer; just like in every evening prayer, Br. Alois gave his meditation for the day, but this time in the end of his meditation, he spoke about how he very touched by his visitation in Haiti just one week ago. Then he let one Haitian girl whom stayed in Taize at the moment to share what's her feeling about the disaster and grateful how every young people in the world keeps praying for her country every 12 of the month.
After the prayer finished, i made my short contact meeting with my contact brother since i already made an appointment this afternoon. Even there's no proper room for our meeting, so we just sat in the dark corner in the sacristy. But beyond that darkness surrounds us, there's a little enlightenment about my journey in the 2011. I'll tell about it later :D Then yes i'm very glad to be able to meet my contact brother and had a very nice conversation and discussion.
The enlightenment that just struck me, calls me to make a prayer around the cross. By this time there's not so many people again who queueing up so i don't have to wait for a long time. Put my forehead on the top of the cross and pray, made me really really feel peace. Feels like life is getting easier. Then i asked for Br. Alois' blessing which he still in his place to accompany the young people who make a prayer around the cross. Having an opportunity to talk to him, i said, "Brother, thank you for still being here and accompanying us even you look really tired." But his replies surprised me and a very good yet thoughtful to ends my wonderful day,
Thank you as well for welcoming us
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