Titik Nol

Author: Agustinus Wibowo

Publisher: PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama

Publication Date: February 2013

Pages: 556

Shangri-la itu, nirwana yang kau cari-cari itu, sesungguhnya ada di lubuk hati.

What is the meaning of a journey? Every traveler has his/her own answer for that. Also for Agustinus Wibowo, Indonesian traveler writer and photographer who had spent four years traveling overland. Departing from Beijing with final destination is actually South Africa but he was stuck in Afghanistan and stayed there for three years as a photojournalist.  In his latest book, he shares lots of deep life experience. At the moment you finish his stories, you will find a new you with a new insight about life and how to live it in a more meaningful way.

This latest book is special since the author not only tells about the journey itself but also about his personal life. His childhood, family, dream, memory, love, karma, religion and even death. He makes two parallel plots here, one is about his mother who was dying of cancer and taken care in a hospital and other is his journey around Tibet, Nepal, India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. The author prepares the story precisely therefore although it is told back and fort for every chapter but it is always related one another. 

I need to read the book slowly and digest every sentence there. Almost every chapter is full of valuable life lessons. Beautiful quotes spread all over the book. I felt like taking a roller coaster. I felt that I myself who took the journey since the author wrote the story  in a simple, touching but very vivid and I also could feel the author's sadness when he took care of his dying mother at the hospital. The author not only tells about his destination but the most important part is he also shares the meaning of every journey he took. About the purpose of life, he said, "Banyak orang tak mengerti tujuan hidupnya, hidup pun berlalu tanpa arti." or "Banyak orang yang hidup tapi tak hidup. Mereka salah tentukan tujuan hidup."

Even for a death, the author delivers his beautiful thought, "Kebahagiaan itu tak pasti. Cuma kematian yang pasti. Ingatlah akan kematian, itu kunci kebahagiaan. Berterimakasihlah pada kematian, karena kematian adalah guru terbesar dalam kehidupan."   

One of the best book in 2013. Titik Nol is more intimate than Selimut Debu (author's journey in Afghanistan) and Garis Batas (author's journey in Central Asian Countries). Highly recommended.