This Girl Is In Love

You are every love song on my ipod. The cheesy and hopelessly in love ones. A smile escapes everytime I push On Repeat button. I do like you, on repeat, till Mr. Darcy gets tired of Elizabeth. Even so, I probably still like you.

It's funny how the summer breeze reminds me of your curly brown hair, unruly by the wind, as my hands touch it right before your lips meet mine. It's funny how my heart still skips a beat whenever your warm arms welcome me home. Your presence promises warmth and safety, just like a cup of coffee does. Your laugh is contagious, as if I'm part of your happiness. Your eyes are sweet and sour like mango sorbet in June. How come you embody my favorite things? Is there no way for my mind to escape from you?

You can't be that perfect. But if I always find a reason to come home to you, can I drop my anchor and leave the ship? 

Can I, not be, out of love again?

This song is perfect

Picnic Day

It took me three days to edit a 1 minute movie. Hahaha. But I like the result so much.

I had several things I should have written last week but it was bat shit crazy before christmas! It was all work and business and die on the front door of my house later. Thank God for the holiday season I get sometime to breath and being sick (nice timing as always, Vania).

Will go out of town in a couple of days ahead, super excited. Surely I will make another movie again, even thou the editing part is kind of driving me cray haha.

Happy holiday guys!

Out Of Touch

Going picnic with the girls yesterday. Thank God the weather was fine, the food was delicious and I took so many footage for this obssesion I have in my mind: making short movie.

As I go through the pictures from the picnic, I come to think a lot about good memories. In the near future, we may not be able to do such things as picnic together or going karaoke on saturday night. Time like yesterday, is so precious for me right now. The thought of changing makes me feel sad, specially when I can’t see the people I love as much as I want to. But changing is obligatory. I understand. I just don’t always feel good about it.

I imagine my self looking back at yesterday, smiling as warmth reaches my chest. I imagine I long for that kind of moment to be back, be here with me and I don’t need to think about the hardship of life for a lil bit. I imagine I hear their laughs fill the air, endless chatting, exciting plans for holiday and not so innocent love stories. I may be forgetful, but this kind of memories has its own corner in my heart.

Tomorrow seems so far away, yet I can hear its steps getting closer. I’m restless, cannot help to think about the unwanted fate to happen, againts my will. But I can’t stop either, since the future offers a lot of possibilities and a chance of happily ever after.

As much as I want to be wise about this, a little sound echoes in my head, screaming madly about the unfair life. Hmm. It’s still a long way for me to be a mature adult, I guess.

Eat, Sleep, Chill #1

So, what's new at Seminyak?

Not much. I didn't even visit the new places at Seminyak, I revisited my fave spots only. Funny fact, living in Ubud for almost 4 nights really grown me old: avoid crowded places and cafes, hate loud music, going to bed early and looooong hot bath. When I stepped out at Seminyak, the hype hit me hard. I got dizzy just by lining up at a gelato bar ha ha ha. Step aside people, the old lady wants her big fat pistachio scoop.

One of the highlight of my days at Seminyak was the hotel I stayed at. It's very rare for me to be staying at hotel during any of my visit to Denpasar. All of my cousins live there, so I usually crash at their places. But this time, since I came with a friend, we decided to stay at Seminyak instead. I wanted to stay at Brown Feather, the hotel I stayed at the last time I visited Seminyak with my lil sister (This is so me. I have super low interest of trying out new places once I find something I really like, so I tend to come back to my favorite places over and over again). But, my travel mate found a very good deal at Zia Hotel, thus we stayed there for the remaining 2 nights at Bali.

Zia is not bad. With the deal we got, I considered it a very very good bargain. When you first enter the lobby, it feels just like another budget hotel, nice and tidy and cool. The room is also fine. I love it that it has this little nook where you can slouch and watch the crowded road of Seminyak from your window. Service is also good and fast. I called the housekeeping to borrow scissors and glue. They came in 2 minutes. Then I called again because I needed black plastic bag. They came in a blink of the eyes. The last call was about me having a hard time turning on the telly at the room. Okay, I need to explain why I couldn't turn on the telly. In my defences, It's the newest plasma LED telly, which you control with a super complicated remote control, which has NO ON/OFF power button. I needed help to find the button, thus I called the house keeping. It's not that I pulled a prank to them. Back to my last call, a technician then came to my room, showed me how to turn on the telly complete with how to switch channels and turn it back off. No judgement, just a simple act of kindness. Thank you, Mr. Telly Technician.

The best part of Zia is its roof top area. They have a mini bar with jacuzzi and sunset view point. I repeat. They have a mini bar, with JACUZZI and SUNSET VIEW POINT. This part of the hotel is the actual reasons why I didn't come back to Brown Feather, to be honest. When my friend showed me about the deal she saw at traveloka.com, I still very much wanted to go with Brown Feather. Then she  told me Zia has jacuzzi at their rooftop. I changed my mind. Lucky me, the jacuzzi lives up to my expectation. What I didn't expect is the fact I can watch sunset too. It's such a pleasant bonus.

When I was about to check out from the hotel, I figured that I had more luggage and I needed additional bag to store them nicely. I had no time to go to the mall to buy extra bag soooo, I called the house keeping, again. I asked if they had something I could use to store snacks I bought for my family back in Surabaya. I think they pity me and my good will to bring my family snacks as souvenirs. They told me they'd come to help me with the luggage. In 5 mins, the housekeeper girl knocked my door with a carton box, big enough for all of my stuffs. She even packed it neatly for me.   Zia's house keeping team is definitely a team of dedicated and super nice people. I'm sorry for being annoying with all of those calls, but your helps save my day. This customer is a super happy one with your excellent service.

Other important details:

1. IDR 423.000/night (It's special deal, not normal rate)

2. Easy access to Livingstone (10 mins by foot)

3. Easy access for Uber and Grab

4. Indomart right beside the hotel (which has ATM machine inside)

5. Hot water and fast wifi

6. 20 mins to Beach Walk by Grab

7. 20 mins to Discovery Mall by Grab

8. 15 mins to Mall Galeria Bali by Grab

9. 15 mins to the beach by bike

10. Chinese food across the street, in case you crave for fried rice before bed

I think I'll write about my experience staying at Brown Feather. I just checked my entries and turned out I hadn't told you guys about that magical place. Iam going to bed earlier today cause I'll be going picnic tomorrow <3 p="">

A Baby Step

When I was 15, I always thought I'd figure everything out on my 20s. I'd be working on a fancy job at a fancy building wearing only fancy suit and leather designer heels. Then I hit 24 and I was nowhere near "figuring things out". There are a lot of things happening that make me completely lost it. I feel helpless and stuck. I don't feel good about myself. I keep feeling unsatisfied with how things go out, even though it is going pretty well. Something is missing.

It's funny to look back to my 15 years old self, feeling so sure about the future, being naive and, I don't know, innocent? It always amuses me that I used to think growing up has the expired date. Thoughts like when you hit 25, you're settled every problems, every insecurities, every worries. You find "who you really are", you find "the purpose of this life". I thought all I had to do was waiting for another 10 years then boom, I turn 25, all problems dismissed. End of story.

It's not the end of the story.

Later I find out that growing up means more challenges, more confusing mazes, more pressures, more worries and insecurities. I get stuck more often, I get stressed out every week, I question everything that my brain and mind can barely handle it. I sometimes cry myself to sleep, hoping God help me getting out of this bumpy ride. But no one can save me except my own self.

It's not all bad though. Growing up is liberating and fun. I travel. I try things that my parents probably not happy with (like sharing room with strangers, get drunk and other things I won't ever mention here). It's exciting to finally start living a life I've been dreaming about. Both the good and the bad parts walk side by side, one after the other, fly me up and cut me down in a very good timing, making me hopeless but can not giving it up, yet. All the teases and games, sweet and sour. Yin and Yang. This equilibrium chart I can't seem to escape.

I wonder how I will end up in the future. Will I make it? Will I surrender to the so called fate?

Here I am, sitting in a Kinfolkish cafe, with my friends laughing to each other's funny stories during our time at junior high. I look outside the window and my mind get carried away by the clouds that hanging low. It will probably raining soon. Rainy day always makes me feel hollow. I count my blessings then, just like any other days I feel gloom stuck in my throat and sadness cloud my mind. It's hard to shake off all of these negative feelings, but I'm willing to try anything. 

A  friend snap me out of my bubble, asking me to join a game they propose to play. It's a truth or dare. I laugh. Well, timing is an irony. Really.

 I join the game anyway. After all, I have no other choice but to play along. Or probably, I just want to make things more complicated and interesting by answering a challenge this life addresses to me.

PS: If anyone read this blog, please pardon all of this negativities. I'm going through one of phases where I feel like becoming a stranger to my own self and other people around me. Don't read the writing if you feel it's too depressing. But you can always look at the pictures I share. I always look happier inside photographs.

PPS: I have another story about my recent trip to Bali. I haven't posted my experinces at Seminyak where I found a pretty sunset point. I'll be writing it down this weekend. Writing down a good memory is always fun and relaxing :) :) :)

More Happy Feelings #2

I want to be grateful for people who's been so nice to me. The ones that help me out of my hardships and respect my efforts. Today started bumpy, but thanks to all of those people, I got home from work with a smile, while listening to Charlotte Gainsbourg's husky voice.

I'll keep counting my blessings.

More Happy Feelings

It's not raining today, the street is not slippery, no traffic jam and I had yummy lunch earlier. Let's be grateful of a day like this, when things are fine and I found a leftover cake on the fridge.

:)

About Choosing..

I don't want the future me to look back and feel regrets.
Regret is the worst feeling a human can bear.

Grown Ups

I never feel more like a grown up, especially when I feel sick on Monday morning and what I do is reaching for paracetamol, shallow it and move on.

I think that's what grown ups do. Shallow the uncomfortable and move on with the day. I feel like I become mature, just a lil bit, but hollow inside. Is this what it feels to leave the La La Land?

Food is A Good Distraction

I often find myself eating whenever I get upset. It's harmless that alcohol, I suppose. And it gives you a temporary warm in your tummy, which located so close to the weakest organ in human body: The Ever Emotional Tiny Little Heart. Well, that's a fitting description about mine.

Let's talk about something more interesting than myself. Last month when I was visiting Ubud, I got to try some of their best cafes and restos. I did ever mention this before, in my UWRF post on 2014, that food at Ubud is considered pretty pricey for me. For comparison, in Surabaya I can get a nice big lunch only with $1. In Ubud, I have to spend about over than $7 for a meal. That is, my friend, a big margin. Well, I believe somewhere in Ubud serves a delish meal with good price, just like Surabaya. I just haven't found it yet. Look at it again, I was a college student when I came to Ubud for the first time. I didn't have much money. Now that I earn my own, I feel like it's okay to spend more on food (and make up and skincare and fancy laptop hehe).

Since I'm now a better traveller, I did some research before the trip. First on my list, caffeine. There are several interesting place to have coffee at Ubud. The nearest from my guest house is Daily Baguette. It's not a coffee shop actually. It's a bakery which has heavenly smell. The coffee is not bad, probably because I had it with warm buns. A simple joy <3 p="">

I only had one coffee shop on my list to visit during my stay at Ubud: Seniman Coffee. Now, the reasons why I was so so excited about this place. Um, firstly, it's nothing like coffee shop at Surabaya. Second, the place is cute. A porch faces the street, rocking plastic chair (super super love it!), breezy place cause it has big windows that they open widely during the day. It's a comfy place to spend hours day dreaming or snapchatting yourself. It's also pretty quite, considering a lot of people going in and out of that place. If I ever get a chance to live at Ubud, Seniman will be my favorite spot to have me time. Oh oooh! One thing that makes me feel so at home is the smell of freshly brew coffee. So fragrant, so calming. 

Okay next. The third reason is the coffee suits my taste. Let me make it clear that I have this special feeling for coffee in my heart, but I am no coffee master. All I know is either the taste suits me or not. Of course knowing how to brew a good coffee, which bean makes a certain taste etc are fun to learn. But I am more a drinker that a thinker. I can be careless about what method you use to make a cup of coffee. For all I know, kopi tubruk tastes heavenly even thou you practically just pouring hot water over grinded coffee beans. Stir until everything perfectly blend together. Enjoy your cup with banana fritter. Perfect.

Other than caffeine, my favorite part of the day is breakfast. For the first 2 days, I had breakfast at the guest house. The host cooks a killer banana pancake which I am so so addicted with! Oh, the sweet and faintly burnt taste drive me craaayyy. Once it's in your mouth, the sweet banana will melt all your shits away, away, away. Don't forget the savory taste of grated coconut on top. It's a party in my mouth! So rich in flavor, so moist, so good. 

Other favorite breakfast place is Le Molin. I only discovered it on my last day at Ubud. A good friend of mine, who share the same tongue for food, told me this France cafe located right beside Taco Casa! I mean, I went to Taco Casa gazillion times and I didn't realise there's a good cafe around! Geez! Le Molin serves the best crepes I've ever tasted in my life. Oh my God, I wish you could taste how good it is just by reading this post. Okay. Let's try to put it into words. OUT OF THIS WORLD. If all cafes at France can cook something like that, I will consider moving in. What I ordered first was bacon and cheese. The crepes is paper thin with crispy edge and super moist on the other part. It tastes and smells buttery, in a good way. The filling is enough, it fills all the spaces inside the wrapping, up until the very edge. I am glad they didn't overdo the filling. It is indeed never too much bacon we have in our live, but the right amount of filling let me enjoy the crepes and the filling as a compliment to each other, neither one overpowering the other. That's a very good harmony you can find in a dish.

So, I got curious about how the sweet crepes taste like, since the savory one snatched my heart in the first bite. I ordered Walnut and Maple Syrup Crepes (I'm not sure about the name, but it is a walnut topped by maple syrup crepes). Oh my oh my. Just go back to the previous paragraph, re-read it three times cause it is that good! Imagine, a paper thin crepes cooked perfectly in all part collides with crunchy walnut and tied in a sweet ending by maple syrup. To my surprise, it's not as sweet as I imagine it would be. It was perfect, as perfect as Taylor Swift's hair after gym.

God, I get tired just by describing how good my eating experiences at Ubud. I can almost taste them in my tongue as I type every single word hahaha.

Other mandatory places to grab lunch or dinner are Taco Casa (duh, of course), Pizza Bagus (I can't get over how good their signature pizza is), Indus Restaurant (a fancy Nasi Bali, worth the price), Umah Pizza (super affordable with delicious food!). Hmm what else? Ah, Warung Ijo, if you are looking for a good-food-good-price-place. Warung Ijo serves Indonesian and Chinese food such as nasi goreng and kwetiaw goreng. A lot of backpackers and locals go there since its food is super affordable ($1,5-$3) and the place is pretty clean. Sometimes it's so crowded that they sold out before 8 p.m. The place is pretty small, you have to really open your eyes or you miss it. If you want to go there, it's located beside Bread Life. Just find green wall diner and you are in the right place.

I don't recommend a Chinese near Betelnut thou. I'm so sorry I forgot the name. It's probably Borneo 88 or something like that. I just think that with pretty expensive price ($5-$8) for a meal, they serve no better than Warung Ijo. Better throw your money at Betelnut or other diner along the street of Bisma. It's a lot better there. Btw, if you want to try any of places I mentioned above, try to click the name of the restos or cafes cause I'll be linking maps or IG acc to make you find them easier ;)

Last but not least, a cake shop. Kakiang Bakery has a dear place in my heart for its famous Japanesse strawberry short cake. Fluffy cake, soft cream and sweet and sour strawberry, all in one bite. I feel as if I'm a princess whenever I have Kakiang's cake. It's delicate and super super yum I want to cry with tears of happiness. The perfect sweetness and the freshly baked cake win my heart thousand times. Other favorite at Kakiang is their choux pastry with fruit filling. It's as good as the strawberry short cake! Kakiang also has palm sugar cookies that taste so so addictive! Holly molly, everything tastes good at Kakiang's.

(a banana pancake a day, chases the blues away)

(Mango Sorbet at Gelato Secret is not really a secret anymore. Everyone knows it is so good during a hot day at Ubud.)

All of this food talk makes me hungry. Is it a good idea to have Indomie at 2 in the morning?

A Doubted Heart

Love me. For who I am not. And everything I am.

About Faith

I think the real challange is not to find a way out.

I think what's count is, how to stay despite of everything that goes againts you at that time. I keep reminding myself that what I believe today will probably change in the future. I probably learn a lesson or two. Someone probably breaks my heart. Someone probably opens my eyes to see "reality". There's a lot of possibility, a change of heart, a turning point.

So this is how things work, probably.

If it stays, even after all off the ups and downs, then it's a faith. I have to fight for it, stick to it.
If it's gone just because one misserable phone call, then it's just another idea I have in my mind.

Fiuh. The ever confusing life.

Where To Sleep At Ubud

If there are things I take seriously on a travelling preparation, that will be access to food and where to sleep. I'm sure a lot of people agree on this. When travelling, make sure you can fulfil your basic needs easily.

I am a lil bit fussy when it comes to my sleep. Sleeping is one thing I will never neglect, if it's not really, really, necessary. Sleeping well is my form of respect for my mind and my body. I have to make sure that both get the best rest, so they can function well in the morning. I may sound like a freak (about my mind and my body) but if I want to seize the day, I need to be in my top noch condition.

Ubud has a lot of interesting places to stay. The first time I went there, I stayed at a local's house. It was a lovely place with descent breakfast. I shared a room with two girls and still, we got plenty free spaces. My favorite part of the house is the porch. It faces a mini forest and if you go down deeper, you'll find a river. That's lovely. Back to the porch, there is a lazy chair where you can sunbath, take a nap, slouch through the entire day while reading piles of book on the shelf right next to you. The sun falls perfectly, just the right amount of warm you want to feel in your skin.

I thought of going back there this time around. But then my mom told me that I should try one of her friend's guest house. I said, why not? As long as the bed is comfy and the bathroom is clean, I'm in. Long story short, there's a room available for me for two nights. My mom's friend said that if only we told her sooner about the visit, she'll be happy to have us at her cottage. Apparently, she owns several property. All were booked but one that checked out just in time of my arrival at Ubud. Sweet.

The place was exceeding my expectations. The location is at the centre of Ubud, 15 mins walk to Museum Puri Lukisan, 10 mins walk to the nearest Chinese Restaurant, 5 mins walk to the mini market and a heavenly-good-pizza-restaurant. If I happen needing a bike or scooter, there are 2 rentals next to mini market. If I want croissant and coffee for breakfast, there is one bakery that smells so good right on the corner of the street.

About the room, I couldn't ask more. Sheet is soft, pillow is nice and warm. There is also a thin curtain around the bed, just in case you want to sleep like a princess: secured, protected from bug bite and cute. The closet is big enough to store your stuffs for the next 4 days. There's not much furniture inside, just the right amount of things you'll need in your room. And also, there's no TV or phone. The room is not airconed also. But, well, you don't need aircon at Ubud. The night is cool enough and really, there isn't any bug either.

Onto the bathroom, it's an open area so you can dip in the bathtub while watching the night sky sparkling. Lovely lovely space. I enjoyed it the most. I usually take about 30 mins bath. During my stay, I needed an hour to get out from the bath. Haha. Guilty as charge. Some people may think it's annoying to have an open bathroom. But hey, it's not everyday you can enjoy the star lights from your bathtub. Give it a try, I promise you'll get hooked.

About 30 mins after I settled in, the house keeper came and asked if I need anything. He came with fresh flower and put it in the corner of the room. +100 points. He also served a cup of hot coffee at the porch. +150 points. He asked what time I wanted to have my breakfast and whether I wanted to eat it down stair at the dining room or delivered it directly to my room. +100 points. I love this place so much.

Did I mention that it called Puri Bayu?

What I love about my stay at Puri Bayu:

1. Small house. There are only 3 rooms at the house. It's private and quite and peaceful.

2. You can watch sunset from your porch. +1.000.000 points.

3. The environment is so green. There's a lot of plants here and there. So nice.

4. Hot bath.

5. Fast wifi. I need this to work. And update my instagram.

6. Pretty neighbourhood. A lot of houses are so green and well maintained. Lovely lovely neighbourhood.

7. Breakfast was super nice. SUPER NICE. Try the banana pancake. It's out of this world. The coffee is also good. I forgot to ask the owner where I could get one. Hiks.

Everything sounds so nice that makes you wonder the price of a night stay at Puri Bayu. Surprise! It's only Rp 250.000,00/ night for a person! It includes breakfast too. I think it's a good price, considering all the good things they offer. I'd loveeee to come back again.

PS: Puri Bayu is fully booked most of the time. A lot of foreigners stay for more than 2 weeks or even a month so it is rare to find an available room in short notice. The room is also limited. So if you plan on staying there, you better book 2-3 months before to ensure you get the room. In my case, well, it's really a lucky shot. More info, go straight to the website.