The Church, The Temple, & The Fireworks

Now this title is similar to a movie title, or a trilogy.. Maybe it will work well as title of a book too..

It was yesterday, Friday, July 1st. I think this day is an important day for two different culture and religion at once. It was the First Friday, and also some kind of a traditional Chinese "lunar celebration" (don't know the right terms in english).

I was on the road, and i was thinking of going to a mass. It was several weeks since my last mass (and i break promises again). To choose church while on the road was difficult. I get numbed by routine. I planned to go for a church in the "old chinatown" area in Jkt. It was a church that i had planned to go for sometime. But it was a plan as usual. I postpone it. And in my dictionary, postpone would mean "indefinite".

The church, named "Toasebio" or St. Maria de Fatima, was a blend of an ancient Chinese Temple, and a modern Church. The building, in a glance, would look like a temple, both interior & exterior. It was one of the ancient/ historical church in Jakarta. One that was reviewed in a book about Churches. It was historical. And i also watched it being reviewed by a local TV station not long ago. So, i get more curious to find out about this. It kinda reminded me with the "adventure" that i used to have. I missed those time.

This church is a blend that, in my opinion, will resemble to Hagia Sohpia in Istanbul. Hagia Sophia (from the Greek: Ἁγία Σοφία, "Holy Wisdom"; Latin: Sancta Sophia;) was a Cathedral, turned to be a Mosque, and now a museum. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hagia_Sophia).

Back to St. Maria de Fatima (i like this name), i was skeptical at first, that there wouldn't be any First Friday Mass held there. Because it was a small church, and i thought there won't be many people too. And i was wrong. There was a first friday mass, and when i asked before i enter, i just found out that it will start soon. (This is a "coincidence" that i always look after, and i missed this). I was there on time. It was 20-30 mins early, and was not late at all (Don't know why I am very proud about this). I got all the time to walk around the church and the linked school, and i looked like one curious tourist.

Just after the mass, we heard sounds of fireworks outside. It was not from the church. From somewhere nearby. (I was thinking, this must be something like a disneyland). The fireworks show lasted about 15 minutes, or more. In the beginning, the fireworks was kinda boring, but i was wrong. After about 5 minutes, it turned spectacular. So many people in the road stopped by to see this "sudden" fireworks. Up till now, i haven't got a clue why there was the fireworks show there. It might be a celebration from one of the temples nearby.

If i have to sum up this whole experience, i'd like to quote from a famous ads campaign. It was priceless.