Dubrovnik Trip Takeaways (1)
The importance of having a powerful story in life
Malang, 2016
“Der, let’s go to the Gazebo!” my housemate shouted after knocking on my locked door.
“I’ll be there in a few minutes,” I said. “You can go there by yourself first.”
After the premiere of Game of Thrones (GoT) Season 6 on HBO, My friends and I had a new nighttime routine.
Every Monday evening around 8 pm, we gathered at our sharehome Gazebo to watch the newest GoT episode.
Although the Gazebo was not surrounded by a garden flower, but by motorcycles and cars, because it was located in the middle of a parking lot, it was still comfortable for us — as undergraduate students.
There, we could watch a football match together, play bridge cards, do group homework, and watch GoT season 6 (yeah, we’re so lucky that the sharehome owner provided us with free cable TV and Wi-Fi in that Gazebo).
I was a huge fan of GoT.
The story, the characters, and the setting — to name a few.
Especially, the unpredictable story, plot twist, and film setting — which combined the medieval era with fable fiction like a living dragon — led me to empty my Monday evening schedule just to watch this series.
Eight years after season 6 finished, I was standing on top of the Dubrovnik City Wall.
I could see the magnificent landscape of the Old Town of Dubrovnik and the Adriatic Sea.
Not with the help of a gadget.
Not with the help of TV.
But with my naked eyes.
And my other two body senses helped me to feel the fascinating surrounding the City Wall.
For a GoT fan like myself, I was familiar with this view — known as King’s Landing, the capital city of Westeros.
Walking down the City Wall, I was reminiscing about the GoT scene and characters.
I tried to recall daily life in King’s Landing.
I tried to recall Joffrey, Cersei, and other characters whose primary role has been in King’s Landing most of the time.
To make nostalgia even more memorable, I decided to stop and take a break.
And I reflected.
Then, I’ve come to realize that GoT was one of my biggest time killer back to the day — when I was an undergraduate student.
Watching the then-current episode was a good use of time. It became my entertainment and improved my English skills.
But I’d expended my energy to do a lot of research on GoT theories (yes, there were a lot of GoT theories back then).
I listened to a podcast that talked about everything about GoT
I debated with my hard-line friend GoT-fan to predict who would die next.
All night long.
I descended to the old town after finishing my City Wall tour for over 1 hour.
And I saw that the GoT hypes were still there.
Some shops were selling the GoT-related souvenirs.
Some shops were allowing you to take a picture of the replica of the Iron Throne (if you were willing to pay — for sure)
Some travel agents offered the GoT tour so you could experience a real movie scene.
The GoT-related products and service business was thriving there, even though the Season Finale was over five years ago.
The effect of GoT on my life and the business sector within the Old Town of Dubrovnik reminded me of the importance of having a powerful story.
I still remember the day I was invited for lunch by my Bosnian friend living near my apartment.
In that moment, we talked a lot about Islam and ended up discussing the Aceh Tsunami in 2004.
I shared the story of Aceh Baiturrahman Mosque, which remained sturdy even though the tsunami swept away the surrounding area — the one I first heard from my friends who grew up in Aceh.
I showed the YouTube video and several news stories that covered the magical event.
I still vividly remember his response, “I need to go there to see the mosque.”
Then, he told his young daughter, who had a presentation project about Indonesia, standing beside us, “You should go there someday. You should definitely go there.”
To me, the story has always been a part of my life.
Through story, I learn.
Through story, I connect.
Through story, I can give some impact.
To me, a story is a potent tool.
I believe it’s more than giving information
It can influence the listener at some point.
To me, a powerful story makes life more meaningful.
And it can connect me with someone on a deeper level.
As Carmen Rita Wong, the Moth Storyteller, said:
Story weave us together as human beings
Derian Antonio Daniswara is an Indonesian junior diplomat currently posted in Zagreb, Croatia. While most people from Indonesia call him Derian, Croatians tend to remember his name easily when he introduces himself, Antonio. He loves sports, especially football, and playing them is a second nature to him.
