The Professor: Tobias

“I’m sorry, I was fast asleep, Toby, I didn’t hear your call. Where are you?”

“I’m at a mall, uh, I think the name is Malioboro. Where should I meet you?”

“Come see me at The Beatles Pub now” I said, scratching my knees while watching TV and picking my nose at home. That marks the story of How We Met The Professor, Tobias.

Imeh, Hima (our best friend), and The Suckers were out at the aforementioned pub, while I sat neatly at home being lazy and all. I’ve catch a cold and cough for almost two weeks, now and it doesn’t seem to get better any day, although I hope I was wrong and with my itchy nose, it will be the sign of me getting better.

Anyway, Toby finally met the girls and the boys, and managed to end the night drinking two bottles of beer. When he got home, we exchanged banters before I quietly disappeared into the arms of my lovely pillows and beloved blanket.

The next morning, I could’nt find him anywhere, but then I remembered the night when he arrived he already asked for my permission to leave the house early because he wanted to pick up his boss and colleagues to start their journey on some reportage. Along with numbers of cameraman and producer, Toby went to Wonosobo, completing a task on coverage about underage smoking that, sadly, happens here on a daily basis.

Later that day, he texted me, saying that the flight was cancelled due to firethat happened at the Capitol’s Airport. I asked him what time did he leave the house this morning, and he replied, “7h :(” via txt. Two hours later he txted me again, “I just had an idea: after my first week in Asia, I need some European food.. :D I can cook dinner(Pasta, but not the stuff they sell here in the restaurants)for you guys…just let me know whether you guys (how many?) are at home and whether you have a basic kitchen equipment?”

I replied shortly, telling him there will be three girls minus him at the house, while basic kitchen utensils are available. He also asked the address to the house, but even if I tell him, I knew he will not going to find it, but I gave up and typed my address anyway.

Five hours later, something nudged my chest. Phone was buzzing, and I clicked it only to find another txt from our deary Professor.

“Hi! I was quicker than expected, the cab driver let me out at that place. I remember it from this morning, it’s the main street next to your home. I’m standing in front of ‘American Pillo’ and next to Klina Khitanan. Can you pick me up, please? :)”

The txt didn’t make sense to my blurry eyes, but grabbing my jacket and bike key, I decided to come and pick him up anyway. He sat there like a lost puppy in front of bedding store, and smiled rather wide for someone that I just met last night. We cooked for everyone, a delicious pasta, with Toby in charge for the sauce.

We ate in delight, although some tasted the pasta as less salty, while I felt the pasta was lacking a bit of sweet taste. We ended up lied there and couldn’t move.

The next day, he arrived home a wee bit before midnight. I was hungry and wanted to snack on a cheeseburger (yes, cheeseburger is a snack for me! deal with it!) so I took Imeh and asked if Toby wanted to join, and he said yes.

After getting our order, we sat down and munched it, carefully (at first!). Toby started to loosen up a bit, telling us the most disgusting food he’d ever eat, which was beaten by, mostly Indonesian, since we eat everything. And I mean it,everything.

Leave it to us when it comes to eat disgusting, gut-wrenching kind of food. But still, insisting that his food was still the most disgusted ones, apart from me disassembling my cheeseburger, was, “a cheese that I found in France. It’s so rotten, if you want to eat it, you have to push it until the worms come out of that cheese, then it’s safe to eat the cheese” ew. Gross! Turns out, it is a Casu Marzu, a kind of cheese that you can find in Sardinia, that taste much better with maggots inside.

Night ended with Toby on the back of my motorbike, crushing my shoulder because he was so afraid of being in a motorbike :D

I told him that it’s totally safe, but I know most westerners doesn’t think the same as we do here in Indonesia.

He left us at 5.30 in the morning, but not before he hugged each others.

What Imeh thinks about Tobias:

• Politely funny

• Extremely Smart

• Polite

• Well-dressed

• His words

#european #german #fun #guest #travelers