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.

Ubud: A Revelation

Aih, I already miss that place the moment my plane took off to Surabaya. It's been a week and I often revisiting my memories, playing the moments from the last trip over and over again. A vacation lag (as in jet lag). A good trip is one that we always cherish in our mind when we step back to reality. Am I wise enough?

The main reason for the trip was Ubud Writers and Readers Festival. This year, it invited 3 of my favorite creative minds: Dewi Lestari, Djenar Maesa Ayu and Joko Anwar. Their name came up and I booked my ticket later that evening. Why are they such a big deal? Well, my friend, as a person who enjoy unusual persperctive and living a life in the border of reality and imagination, those 3 people are so good at writting stories. I always enjoy their ideas. I don't agree with all of them, but still, seeing things from another dimention is a great experience for me. Btw, a side from being a writer, they also direct movies. As for Dewi, she composses beautiful songs and bakes.

I didn't take a single picture during their sessions. I felt annoyed if I have to divide my focus on documenting and following the discussion. I wanted to be present in those discussion, to be completely drown to the euphoria and excitement. I didn't want to do anything else but sat down and listened. So I did.

Uuumm, it's a lil bit confusing to write about UWRF, since it's really a unique experience for me. I mean, I've been there twice yet still feeling extatics. Whenever I try to put it on words, I feel like it's not good enough. Or, I probably am not good enough as a storyteller. I wish you could access my memories and watched all the things I'd experience. I really wish you could, it's so much fun being in my head. Haha.

What did I do in Ubud when I were not attending UWRF?

So many plans, so little time. I think the main story of my Ubud trip is EAT. I eat mouthwatering food to satisfy my greed. I stuffed my mouth with a lot of delicious food, always munching something, sipping something. My hands and my mouth never stop reaching for the nearest consume-able things. Never felt hungry, since I kept on filling my tummy. Non stop until I felt like throwing up or fell a sleep.

Then I go to museums, UWRF's poetry slams, screenings, discussions, meditations, sunset gazing, stroll along Jalan Raya Ubud, day dreaming at Indus, watching people pass by at Seniman, speeding to UWRF's surprise events, smilling to strangers, being kind to kids and babies, got lost on the way back to hotel, wearing tanks non stop, forget putting on sun screen, exploitating free food at book launches, too tired to wipe up my make up before bed. Sleeping with out annoying dreams. Those are food for my soul, my idealism, my imaginations. My youth.

You see, as I grow older, I spend money to experience things I know it won't last forever. I want to go to the fullest. I want to taste the wildness. I want to be free from necessities just for another 5 mins. That is what I buy. That is money well spent.

When I thought about my trip on my way back home, I couldn't stop smilling. I reached my equilibrium during my 6 days trip. I met Yin and go home with Yang. I was no longer black, but grey. It's all falling to the right place. I realised, it's not about escaping reality to fly in between clouds of dream. It's about living both, walking the fine line between two worlds, being careful not to stumble and fall. That is enough for now.

I feel like I'm being too kind to myself. Hell no. I should always be kind to myself.

:)