Join the new world

By wonder_forward.

Never have I attended any Gathering event of eRepublik before this due to hapless occurrences. Nonetheless, on 26 - 28th June 2009, I finally attended one and I met with so many eIndonesian players and I can proudly say that I haven't regretted joining this amazing game and fabulous community.

[img]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2609/3675075630_5b75594192.jpg?v=0[/img]

Caption: eIndonesian gathers in harmony of the night

even the words of AWESOME, SUPER, or any kind of motivating words were invulnerable against this word that reflected the mood of this gathering: HAIL INDONESIA!

It all started on the noon when I visited the Xtrans office on Ruko Palais, Lippo Karawaci, where I have booked a ticket for Bandung. I hesitated in approaching the ticketing booth, since I was scheduled to meet NBI Gov of eIndonesia: Ond3l. My eyes scanned the whole booth where many passengers sat down, only one of them looked suspicious. A big man with burly body, clad in red T-shirt and jeans. He smiled at me and I knew he was the one.

Here is his photo: the one behind the laptop, surrounded by so many of our FMs, asking for his money 🙂

[img]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2605/3674357083_17f007549b.jpg?v=0[/img]

On the route to Bandung via 200 km of toll, we exchanged talks on the gold and currency status, and many other eRepublik issues. Time passed so fast that we arrived in Bandung at 5.30 PM lokal time. While waiting for the the gathering committee to fetch us to Lembang (still 40 minutes more from Bandung), we sat on the fried chicken restaurant, and soon came the first batch the officials.

The first to come was fajar, simon aka drestamerjuna, and dhi arkh. Wew, the mood soon picked up and the talk flowed so smoothly. eRep situations and a bit of Hawaii ambition sparked the meeting despite some people (including me) had only met them just now... Until one hour later, the core group of our eMother (sandygee), aban, bulubaok (or the commander of this gathering), anindya, keril, and sutan (or rudsaint) joined us.

Here is a photo of aban, looking wistfully towards Hawaii.

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We chatted like frenzied bee and so fun, that we struck 10 o'clock at night. It was now time to go to Lembang, to Padepokan Karang Tumaritis, where the gathering is held. We met our event's MC: nugelo on a minymart, then we headed straight to the gathering place, a very cool and beautiful inn plus pavilions. Actually there were already 3 participants there: sukm and gagah, who had waited impatiently from 12 PM at noon, who had threatened to wreak havoc if we didn't come sooner... But luckily, they were stopped from being naughty by Isnuvardhana, who arrived at 21.00 PM local time.

Wew, the place is HUGE! and COLD! There were also many university students happened to be there. We wondered whether they could be recruited and invited 🙂
After we put down our luggage, we all gathered in a pavillion and a dining hall.
Sandygee, anindya and Bulubaok opened the registration stand immediately, handing out the blue eRepublik shirts for us.

Nugelo immediately showed off magic tricks using cards, while others tried to go online using Ond3l's laptop. We were a bit scared of being banned at first, but the committee had reassured us that it was okay doing that on gathering. I was also having my own show, and after doing many Tarot readings, well, the customers just lined up and if I charged one gold per reading, I could have made a fortune that night!

[img]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2487/3674928835_99f7def8ec.jpg?v=0[/img]
we can conquer USA according to my Tarot readings 🙂

The cold night couldn't beat the fires and sparks of chats, as waves by waves of gathering participants from #erepindo came. Tanks, FMs, and GMs, were gathering. I was like seeing 20% of Indonesia strength gathered here! Well, I quite hoped that admin will not strike us down at one go, or the enemy used this moment to declare RWs on us. We would be quite helpless... wkwkwkw.

This foto showed some of our Tanks: from let to right isnuvardhana, aban, sukm, bulubaok, sandygee, flik_kenni, ond3l, and gagah
[img]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2488/3673858245_69381db5a4.jpg?v=0[/img]

What made me most impression on me, personally, was Brother masila, bima, flik_kenni, and isnuvardhana. They were so different than what I imagined about them on IRC.

I was so proud of Masila, our president, who struggled from Papua to come here. Well, FYI, the flight from Papua to Jakarta took 7 hours, and he had deadlines as well. But I see he was happy coming here. It was worth it...

Long live our president! You see here he held a passport from admins:
[img]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2641/3675259154_c21ce82013.jpg?v=0[/img]

Bima too, while smoking and held discourses on variety of grand strategems, i felt like wanting to be his pupil. It was no wonder he's the founder of PReI (my party) and ex-President, also the head of intelligence bureau (he's our ex-CIA chief...)

[img]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2660/3675188954_246bf6f6b7.jpg?v=0[/img]
Caption: Bima is on the right, drinking milk 🙂

Then flik_kenni, our rumored ga... ups. Well, hard to tell, but me and flik_kenni instantly felt like brothers when we meet (no rumors plz). He's so funny with so many knowledges on eRepublik. Pokoknya mantabs!

Then, of course, Isnuvardhana. The first citizen of eIndonesia, the fourth President of eIndonesia. Man of legend, with a great aura of wisdom and compassion. Well... it's hard to be described unless y'all meet him yourself. .

[img]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3658/3674384201_d4845e945c.jpg?v=0[/img]
The Adam of eIndonesia smile😛 true living legend

I made a blunder that night. I shivered of cold. I didn't bring jacket but fortunately vienna_elle lent me one. So many thanks, Ms. Elle (sob).

[img]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2444/3670623939_3b9d2af243.jpg?v=0[/img]
She's here in this photo, and on the left with shawl is ina_na who e-married bernas.

Btw, this is the srikandi (warrior princesses) of eIndonesia:
[img]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2502/3674397485_b3e5cac6fc.jpg?v=0[/img]

[img]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2641/3674343329_1f7722f9a5.jpg?v=0[/img]
This is our tanks, gathering onto eSerbia Independence!

Until 5 AM, we didn't sleep a wink. We surrounded the laptop which still flashed the Battle of Serbia vs Croatia. We launched tank after tank, while discussing our Hawaii Campaign and stuffs. Finally, at dawn, we are defeated by ATLANTIS, though we all felt more like sleepy rather than bitter. I laid on my bed for one hour, before I woke up and joined in a morning chat with rudsaint, sandygee, and axylline in a pavillion in front of a peacock cage.

Apparently, four a 4 months newbie like me, there were so much thing I haven't known about the old days of eIndonesia. And I was very grateful to see Sandygee who told so many stories to me. Very fun and interesting stories, from old days, also tribute to rudsaint for his stories on PKeI. Wew, their story was like sending me back to old times.

Then comes the time to take a bath then breakfast. I take my luggage as well since we plan to move to another room. In joglo or the Hall, after breakfast, we held Introduction event. Before that, I met with emortal, Jaka Aldila, jay, and cassava. They came faraway from Surabaya in East Java!

My eyes had started to get so heavy, but the drowsiness was gone when the opening progamme starte😛 the Introduction. We all introduced one another while keep humoring and jesting. My tummy ached because I had been laughing constantly from last night till now. It was so much fun. Then, we all wrote about our life and country's history on a white carton. We plan to send it to admin 🙂

[img]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2421/3674371531_e3433ae532.jpg?v=0[/img]

Then the committee held quizzes, and many lucky members who answered right on eRep questions got T-shirts and passports that admins sent us (thanks admins!)

I also got spared a passport by Ms. Vienna_elle 🙂 Thanks so much.

Then, we get our lunch. We chat and jest, until mamangbakso arrived to the scene. I was like struck by thunderbolt seeing him. Mamangbakso, the commander of #lendir, ex-South Africa President, a well-known banana-chips entrepreneur from Sumatra, was my own brother's close friend! What the hell! I was so surprised, and we hugged each other, and I said to myself: "The world is so small like a Kelor leaf."

[img]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3656/3671441064_087e1f41c1.jpg?v=0[/img]
Lunch photograph

[img]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3605/3675281012_d5378bbcb8.jpg?v=0[/img]
Caption: from left to right: mamangbakso, me, sandygee, and axylline.

On the noon, we head off to a famous resort: Mt. Tangkuban Perahu. We take pictures there, take a hike, meet with many other gathering participants, then at sunset, we head to a famous Sumur Cafe where we drank milk and ate toasts.

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Our Resistance War in Tangkuban Perahu


Triple Tanks and DS Q9 planted in Tangkuban Perahu

[img]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2660/3675188954_246bf6f6b7.jpg?v=0[/img]
In Sumur Cafe, the milk there is goldlicious.

We returned to our basecamp at night, and discounting the weariness, the festive mood was increasing because more members came. I was in panic though, I have to make articles about this gathering to be sent to local newspaper, and I brought no laptop. So I have to go back and fro to fetch Ond3l's laptop. I was assigned in a room with aban, sukm, nitnotnet, flik_kenni, and junhere.

After dinner and typing furiously, the peak even came. The eIndonesia history discussion. We held a discussion from the birth of our nation until we became a big country like now. I can't tell you everything but I was so like dropping my jaws hearing their presentation. It was so touching and eventful hearing the history unfolds, told by the legends themselves.

At 3 AM that night, the 6 hours worth of discussion finally finished. Also I have met with two e😜residents, both are my bosses in the government: rikwandi and DonAgung. I was so thrilled meeting them.

[img]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2469/3675377018_113d64410e.jpg?v=0[/img]
rikwandi who is now in Theocrats...

[img]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2471/3674554903_6116d42e22.jpg?v=0[/img]
DonAgung is the one with green dress...

The committee served us goat satays and baked ketan rice. But unfortunately, I got no chance of tasting this delicious food, as my throat was sore. But that didn't held me back from eavesdropping some prominent GMs talking on cartel tariffs, and some weapons' trading. Wew, i was like in mafia meeting, with the dons smoking cigars and drinking ginger teas 🙂

[img]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2494/3674200587_985a8af69e.jpg?v=0[/img]

I slept on 3 AM afterwards, and woke up 07.30. It was quite plenty of sleep compared with yesterday.

After breakfast, we stayed on the dining hall and chatted. We all lacked sleep but we kept talking eRepublik, and we still joked endlessly. So hilarious. Then, the event closed with photo sessions.

I was deeply impressed with everyone's dedication to make this event possible. Also the devotion and zeal I saw in making Indonesian community and nation became the one like now. If any outsiders looked upon us gathering and talking like this, I bet they will think us crazy or what. But for us, who had tasted the game and dedicated ourselves daily in the community, it was a joy to be able to gather and meet like this. We all become like brother and sisters, one big family of Indonesia.

Many people professed an admiration for the makers of eRepublik for successfully creating a very dynamic community like this. It had never been seen before, a community like this based on an eNation on an eWorld, with RL impact!

So, I wish to offer my gratitude to everyone. The players, the game, admins, my community, and our gathering committee.

I never tasted such joy of game until I have met you all,
what had been exciting is now paramount excitement,
may we all hurry and reach Hawaii together.
May the committee and all people who had sacrificed their time and effort for this gathering bestowed with ambassador medal from admins...

I think i have written far too much. I will certainly come for next gathering, national or locally.
I solemnly pledged my RSVP!

[img]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2606/3675216152_ca56e94551.jpg?v=0[/img]
National Gathering Committee

[img]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3623/3675197106_c46ae4c3d1.jpg?v=0[/img]
Everybody on Farewell Photo Ops: Hawaii here we cometh!

STATS:
A Total of 55 players from 12 cities in Indonesia have come: Jakarta, Bandung, Sidoarjo and Surabaya (East Java), Yogyakarta (Central Java), Lampung (Sumatra), Sorong (Papua), Samarinda (Borneo), and Kupang (Lesser Sunda Islands), and even from Netherlands.

PS:
It was unfortunate that many people, especially kibz, didn't come... Committee! We want next gathering please!