Hidden Treasure just outside Madison

I've been living in Madison for the past 5- 6 years. But I always go to further places to find something 'cooler' because I thought there's nothing to see in Madison. Then my parents came to visit. I tried to find something that both my mom and dad will like. And close! They hate stucked in the car for more than 3 hours. They already having trouble stay in the car on the the way to Chicago.
Anyway, my roomate suggested Cave of the Mound. I thought... it will be such a tiny little cave that not even worth my money. So, since it's closer and cheaper than House on the Rock, we decided to check that place out.
To my surprise, the Cave of the Mound was impressive. I couldn't believe such beautiful cave even exist only half hour from Madison. My dad was impressed. My mom love the beautiful rocks and minerals. In short everybody, even my two roomates and myself enjoyed the trip.
So, like the old indonesian saying: Gajah di depan mata tak terlihat, semut di sebrang lautan tampak jelas... (You cannot see the elephant right in front of you, but you are sure about the ants across the sea..... or something like that).

Cultural Indifferences

Sometimes we think too much about cultural differences. About how one region has different tradition than the region next to it. How one country has totally different ways of looking on many thinks than another countries.

The fact is human is unique. But when it come to basic needs and principle, we're not that difference. We all want happiness, even though we have thousands of ways to express it. We want to love and be loved, even though we have so many ways to show it and to say it.

I went to my good friend's family this weekend. From the outside, we're so much different. She has blond hair, mine is jet black. Her skin is very fair, mine is dark. She's 5'10", I', 5'5". Her dream live is to live in Montana with horses and dog away from the crowd, I said... forget it. I'll go crazy living away from people. Mine is living in New York city surrounding by friends and family with so many fun places to go.

But amazingly, even though we were brought up in such a different environment (she grew up in a very small town in Pennsylvania, I grew up in a metropolitan city of Jakarta), we clicked right away (thanks to Starbucks). We're best buddies. She's like my sister. I can tell her anything. Our families amazingly similar. Her dad looks like my dad. They both had retired from the army. They both annoyingly over protected. I fit right away in her family. They are like mine now. I knew her cousins and her aunts and uncles. I bet if she's in Indonesia, she'll fit right in my family right away as well.

So, even though I am sometimes still stereotyping people who looks different than me, I make myself remember about the cultural indifferences. People in general want the same things.