We meet people. That's given.
Overtime, I got interested in stories of backpackers, how they usually found someone on their way. Then they would talking about things, going together, and then part ways. I watched a part of a documentary in our hostel in Malaka before going around the city. It was about someone who decided to quit his job to travel the world. There was a part of the documentary when he said that (not his exact words, but more or less)
"when traveling, you will meet people, you'll be together for some times, and then you'll part ways, knowing that you won't meet them ever again. But those were beautiful memories,"
When I travel, I experienced that having internet connection is the best way to cut that chance off. I don't even have to ask to local people because the internet have it all. How to go from A to B, how to buy your ticket, where to have a halal food, where the mosque is, etc. I almost decided that it's just me who was afraid of making connection to people and maybe I won't ever have that kind of memories happened to me.
Then, as I have said in the previous post, when I first arrived at the hostel, the host kindly introduced I and my two friends to everyone (literally everyone) we met while going around the hostel. I was deeply inspired by his act that I decided that I will just went out of my room and ask anyone who was still in the common room instead of sleeping and waking up early the next day. Lucky me, there was this very kind Serbian women who was introduced to us as a women who travel the world by bike (cool, right?) earlier. She was updating her facebook page and she asked me if I need anything.
So I said that I was very interested in her traveling by bike, and she kindly told me the stories about how she started, countries she has been to, also where she would go next. She was also a freelance writer (unfortunately, her english book hasn't come out yet, so I can't read her adventure) and, should I say, a full time traveler.
After that, my two friends joined me in the common room, and also a couple from Barcelona. We had a nice conversation about our traveling experience. They were particularly interested about meeting us, as the women from Serbia said that she have never met backpackers from Indonesia before, especially those wearing veil. She encouraged us to see the world and be what we wanted to be, and it is never too late to start (this is because I told her that I feel like I was a bit old when I started to like travel).
It's unfortunate that we only have that one night in Melaka as we have flight to catch (also souvenirs to bought and petronas to visit) the next day. Fortunately, their next destination is Indonesia. There might be a chance for us to meet again, they said. The Barcelona couple even said that we will have a home whenever we visit Barcelona in summer. How nice of them, right?
At that time, that specific part of the documentary I watched earlier was like played out in my head. How we know that we have met great people, having great conversation, being friends in such a short time, and fully acknowledge that there might be no next time for our meeting. From that one night, for me, the point of meeting people while traveling was never about planning the next meeting. Not even about being friends in facebook and having a great worldwide network (that's bonus). Most of it was about being open minded and willing to listen. About making memories in such a short time and maybe about making a little effort of restoring the faith in humanity.
...and maybe to spend a little time off the internet :)
see you in #8!
*Snezana, the women from Serbia, wrote about us in her facebook page (tip : use google translate). Apparently, she's very famous in Serbia! I can't wait to have a copy of her book in English when it's published, thinking that I've met the author :)
