In the Netherlands with CDU

Just now I got an sms from arief:
"Shier, I'm now in Damrak. So ironique remembering we used to be together with all CDU people, and now there's nobody with me here. Whatever my feeling is, I'm just hoping the best for everyone. Sorry for being this sentimental"

I forwarded the sms to Tina right away, felt sure that she would understand my feeling completely.

I feel sad. Sooooo damn sad. I couldn't help the tears rolling down from my eyes. So I grabbed my phone and cried my feeling out to Hiro. Feeling better, the memory in the Netherlands with CDU staffs flashed back like a movie....

I visited Netherlands first in 2002 for my job training. At that time, I knew no one in CDU except Carla (since she's my friend from uni). I went together with the first group of students, assisted by Arief. I didn't know much about him, but at that time he seemed so busy with his task that he left me, the new staff, minggled with the students. I spent my first several days with the students, and treated as one of them, until then Carla and Tina arrived with other group of students. After one meeting to another with INHOLLAND people, I started to hang out with the staffs and got to know them better. I spent most of the time with Tina, Carla and Baby Mariza (internee), and sometimes also with Arief. I knew it, at that time, that working at this company would also be a fun. The boss, the staffs, and the internee were such a perfect combination of a nice working atmosphere and unique personalities team.
We browsed the shops in Amsterdam, looking for nice discounted stuffs that perhaps could be bought. Well....Euro man....my brain couldn't stop calculating the rate hahaha. We were having tight schedules with international offices and programme managers too, with of course business lunch or dinner -which were so plain for our indonesian tongue. We shared many jokes and stupid mistakes. We took lots of pictures. I followed Catholic mass in Dutch with Tina. We went to red light district and got amused. We spents some evenings at cafes along Leidseplein, watched once an old man's naked attraction. Went to uitmarkt, experiencing Dutch's yearly summer art festival. And having the best and cheap dinner, Moksi Meti, at Albina restaurant nearby Albertcuip; and also introduced to Shoarma - food from Morroco.
As the August ended, we got separated. Carla continuing her Europe trip with her past boyfriend, Tina and Arief to Italy (Of couse separately), and me flying back to Indonesia.

Then after spending a year working and knowing the people more, I visited the Netherlands again in 2003. It was Carla's last visit, but I were introduced to Nina at that time. I spent most of the time with Tina and Arief. Browsing Amsterdam for shoes and souvenirs, meetings, uitmarkt and having meals together -Moksi Meti and shoarma were must-be-eaten food. Walking down the streets till we almost broke our legs. Arief spent his time more with us already. He even took me to the bus station at Amstelveen with my heavy luggages when I was about to leave to German.

2004 was already a sad year. No more Carla with us, and Nina was resigning. She was still going to Holland with us, but it was like a farewell. Tina was not going with us also, she visited the Netherlands a month after. I spent most of the time with Nina and Arief. Nina was a shopalcoholic, so it was a great fun with her. Kalverstraat was out favourite spot. We had my favourite shoarma and Moksi Meti as well, and of course Shoarma at the shop at the corner of Damrak. I knew also at that time that it would be my last official visit to Holland. My bond with CDU people was very strong already.

And this year. I am not going because of my pregnancy. Tina will go a month later for other project. No more Carla and Nina. Arief is there alone now. If I were Arief, perhaps I would cry flying there with the students alone, walking down damrak alone, browsing kalverstraat alone, eating shoarma alone, waiting for trams and metro alone, running to catch the train alone, visiting schol and having meetings with people there alone. Doing things that were used to be done together with other CDU people alone.

So sad, huh...? or....Am I just being sentimentil?