Once Upon a Time in Singapore

               

 

It had already been 11.00 PM, but I hadn’t even packed my stuff and got prepared yet. Whereas the next day, January 27th, 2016, my flight to Singapore would depart at 09.50 AM. Until ±01.30 AM Andreas and I were still cutting ±1800 LCG stickers in his house, plus we had to wrap up 200 LCG shirts and wristbands. Although I felt tired and sleepy physically, but my mind was so enthusiastic, coz I would be in Singapore for the very first time less than 24 hours away. And because I hadn’t even packed one until the stickers were finished cut, while it was already dawn, I decided not to sleep all night, so that when I finished the packing I can directly continue to Juanda Airport with Andreas and Saga.

While cutting the stickers, I also felt proud of myself. How not...I could indirectly contribute to an international parkour event, even though it’s just from behind the scenes. The LCG committee chairman, Koh Chen Pin (CP), delegated Andreas to handle the production of LCG shirts, stickers, and wristbands. Of course I would help all the process with my pleasure. I also felt satisfied coz finally I could go to LCG after almost one year saving money...

   ONE YEAR AGO FLASHBACK...

February 6th, 2015...for the first time, the Lion City Gathering was held in Singapore. It was an international parkour event that presents traceurs and traceuses from various countries. Not only from Asia, but also from Australia, Europe, and America. I really, really wanted to attend that event so bad, but I had no money. So, at that time I just could sit and watch jealously my friends’ Facebook timeline who attended that event. After LCG 2015, my main priority was just how to save and collect money for attending LCG 2016, and also not forgot to make a passport for going abroad main requirement.

BACK TO THE PRESENT DAY...

Finally, at 01.15 PM Singapore time, the plane had just landed at Changi Airport. My first impression to Singaporeans is that they are very discipline in their daily life. They throw garbage in its place, queuing in an orderly manner, and obey the traffic rules. Everything is so orderly and well-managed, which makes me feel embarrassed for what contrary happened in Indonesia.

In spite of that thing, I felt so exited for the upcoming parkour jam with many practitioners from various countries. Okay...maybe my parkour skill is nothing compared to them, but the more important thing for me about this event is making new friends, build a relation/network, and of course selling Avolution shirts and Malingkondank pants with Andreas. The more friends you get, the brighter your future will be.

On the third day in Singapore, Andreas had to go back earlier to Semarang for attending Pro Jam event there. Therefore Saga and I decided to hang out with some Vietnamese guys. Later Phillip, a Singaporean traceur, also joined us helping as a city touring guide. We looked for cheap food and then went sightseeing in Clarke Quay and Chinatown until night. About residence, we had to thank Wellington Wu for his hospitality offering us to stay in his second house. Not only myself, Saga, Phillip, and the Vietnamese guys who stayed there, but also some practitioners from Australia, Netherlands, France, Hongkong, US, England, Germany, Sweden, and some other countries. We gathered and talked as if we never run out of chat. We shared about each country's culture and the differences between westerners vs. easterners’ habit until late at night. What an unforgettable memory.

The following days were spent with parkour jam from one spot to another, such as Bedok Maze, Clementi, Bishan, and also other areas that I forgot the name. Besides the outdoor spots, we also trained in indoor like Kraken Gym and Freerunner Lodge. Honestly, I just did a simple jam in each spot without doing big jumps. Like I told before, my parkour skill is nothing compared to most of other LCG practitioners whose skills are much better and stronger than me, and I also admit that my skill progress is very slow. BUT...one thing for sure, no matter how slow my progress is, I will NEVER stop training, even if I’ve been 40 or 50 years old, as long as my body’s still able, I’ll keep parkouring.

After the 3-day-series of LCG were completed, there’s still one more informal event for any practitioners who extended their stay in Singapore on the following day, which was jammed in the Katapult Trampoline Park. In other words, you could say that this was the "Day 4 LCG", although not everyone joining coz some of them had returned back to their countries, and the others had their own schedules. The trampoline jam lasted from 07:00 PM to 09:00 PM, in which the remaining LCG participants look so enthusiastically practicing flips or just bouncing around. The most memorable moment was the time before the event ends, when CP gave some words for closing speech. Almost at the same time everyone yelled "LCG!! LCG!! LCG!! ", and then ended with a group photo for the last time. No matter which nationality, ethnicity, religion, or language; everyone came together and mingled into one PARKOUR family, how wonderful this togetherness.

Unfortunately, it had to be ended that night, most of the remaining participants had to return immediately to their countries between midnight or the next morning, and the others still extended several days in Singapore. After exiting the trampoline park, we said goodbye to each other and split into smaller groups. Saga and I joined CP group looking for some dinner, then we went straight to Changi Airport to stay there overnight. We had to catch a plane back to Surabaya at 07:50 AM the next morning, February 2^nd 2016.

When the plane landed in Surabaya, I felt like just waking up from a very sweet dream. I had to go back to my daily routine as usual. However, this Singapore trip is just a beginning, there are still 9 more Southeast Asian countries that have to be visited in order to fulfill my vow. So...I have to work harder and start saving more money from now..