“Open the shoe box labelled “my teenage years” and you’ll see that my life was revolving in only two things, Parma and Cannavaro.
Let me take you back to 13 years ago, and see this amazing god’s creation from my eyes.
Fabio Cannavaro, was still 26 years old, stole my attention from NBA to Italian soccer. He left an unforgetable match for me to keep in my brain for the rest of my life in World Cup 1998. Then it left me with curiousity to find him in a small team named Parma, take note that google hasn’t been born that time, I got to go thru almost all the sport magazine to find his information.
It was really hard for a small team such as Parma to be aired live on TV in Indonesia until some time in October 1998, I first saw Parma match. Fabio was the captain, and we won 4-0 against Milan. It was an amazing game, again by him.
Fabio was the gate of my freak craziness over Serie-A. Since then, I am unstopable as Parmanisti and Fabio’s number one fan.
In the year end of 2001, Parma was almost relegated. Nobody, even expert thought there would be Parma in serie A next season. But however I was a blinded naive fan so I believed when Fabio wrote in official Parma site that “we’re gonna make it.” and we did. :)
We had made it thru the next season in serie-A. However we lost all the key players because of debts. Guess who insist to stay? Fabio.
In 2002, parma was in a huge debt and Fabio was the only player who’s worth millions euro, so we had to let go. He hoisted his shirt in his last game with Parma. He cried, so did I. For a month, parma official web wrote “arrividerci il capitano!” and I wrote “ci incontreremo un giorno, il capitano!” means “I will see you someday, captain!”
In 2006, he was the captain for a world cup winner team, which only surrendered by one own goal and one penalty. He lifted the world cup as I celebrated my first ever azzurri victory. It was one hell of a moment. :)
He retired last month, and for me soccer won’t be the same without him.
But as I wrote in Parma forum 9 years ago, I’ll see him someday. He’s my lifetime idol, my biggest influence when I grew up.
It’s somehow universe’s way to bring him here in Singapore, a place where I happen to live now.
I really really really want to see him. I’ll take half day leave or time off early or anything to attend the event on Jalan besar stadium. I’ll even cancel my flight to KL that day if i could go there and meet him.
This will be those moments which I can read my diary over and ovet again, and the moment I can tell my grandchildren about.
One’s dream will about to come true. :)

Thank you for reading this crazy email. :)

Regards,
Meitriyana”

And three days after I sent that email, I shrieked inside the project meeting in my office. I received a reply stated that I have won that ticket.

Today, the day has finally come. I take half day leave from my work and rush home to change into Azzuri Jersey.

“I am gonna meet Fabio!” a sentence that i always said when I was 13, only this time, LITERALLY.

Dreams do come true. Just keep the faith.