Another Victoria's Secrets

I feel kinda like a shopaholic now, buying so many stuff so often like I've never had before. But I just couldn't resist this rucksack. It's big enough to put my 13" MacBook in it, or even to put all the clothes for two-three days' stay over. And it can be hooked to the upper or bottom side, and it's made of canvas, the material I like lately (see my last post about the turquoise shoes) and the color is exactly what I thought of buying: fade green and sand. Well, I'm just loving this. I really am looking forward for the payday now!

I had never thought I'd master the motorbike riding and loving it. But I do, because:

1. Bali's only public transportation is taxi. Buses are very limited so motorbike is the easiest vehicle to go places.
2. The pollution level is still low, so it is still comfortable to go by bike even in the main roads. And you can still breathe the fresh air when you go between the rice fields.
3. Bali has narrow roads so it is much easier and faster to go by bike, even if you have to go to the alleys.
4. The park space is limited for cars, so it's much helpful if you just ride the bike, especially when you go to the shops in a narrow road.
5. It cost you only IDR 10,000-20,000 to fulfill the fuel tank. Compare it to the car's full tank price which starts from IDR 150,000.

It had been three months since I moved to Bali. Overall, I am enjoying my time here. There are so many new things, new experiences, new friends, new places, and new habits I got here. Especially the fact that I am now riding a bike everywhere. It's like something quite impossible for me to do in Bandung/Jakarta (not that it's not possible but I refused to ride on one in those cities due to the traffic and pollution--plus because of the trauma).

Last weekend was my first time riding to Ubud, the whole 32 km away from Kerobokan (where I live) and had a bike tour with girl friends, Rina and Jana. It was such a different experience, and the atmosphere in Ubud was really nice. It brought a new sensation to me and I loved it very much. It's so much helpful to have a bike here because Bali's public transportation are very limited.

It is also a new experience to me to have a room mate. It pushes me to be more diligent to tidy up the room, and I have to share with everything: stuff, space, stories and time. I learn to be (even more) patient and tolerant. And coordination is essential in everything. I've been dreaming of sharing room with a friend in a stranger' city but I've never thought it would be with Ana and in Bali. But then again, it's working the way I wanted it to be.

About work, well, it's not the best job and best salary in the world indeed. But I'm enjoying it, with the fact that my office is at the most happening road in Bali now, with foreigner boss who appreciates my work and easy to deal with, and the two days off at weekends (most people in Bali works half-day on Saturday, and in Shops and horeca business, they mostly work on Sunday too).

The most usual thing I heard about people from both Jakarta and Bandung who had lived in Bali was that they are bored, with no friends and nothing to do. Surprisingly it doesn't work the same way to me. I always have something to do here, or new places to go to, and never lacked of friends. I can always find someone who's available or just make new ones when I run out of friends.

Talking about friends, I just love to make new ones here, especially the fact that people here are gathered from all around the world. You can just meet a bit of France, or South Africa or Japan randomly here. We simply mix and live together harmoniously. I really feel the peace in mind and soul here, there isn't any violence anywhere in Bali. The unseen forces do exist, but I don't get in touch with them so my life is very much peaceful here.

And about the wild life in Bali they always talk about, it really is depends on our choices. I chose for a simple, modest and peaceful one, with a lot of sunbathing on the beach or visit interior shops, and be at home before 10 p.m. I really enjoy this kind of life, tho people are asking me to hang out till dawn at clubs. Maybe it's my age, too. I've had enough of the secular things. I prefer to draw myself closer to God in every way that I do.

I do miss my family and friends back in Java, for sure. Especially my little sister, Clemency, who shares almost everything with me before. I also miss my girl friends Cheryl and Maria who had accompanied me almost everywhere for the last months before I moved. I miss the most my mother who really is my soul mate. But it's like no way for me to go back to Java, at least for the moment. I'm still enjoying my new life to the most, especially the part that I'm being truly myself without anyone's influence here.

Well, I just love Bali. Such beauty doesn't exist anywhere else where traditional culture meets modern touch. I hope I shouldn't leave the island anytime soon. I just superlove it here.

Rina asked me to go for a ride to Ubud yesterday noon and I said OK. So we met in Sanur and had lunch at Mak Beng. After that we both ride to the Gianyar area by our own bikes, and arrived at Monkey Forest at around 2 p.m. We went a shop I wanted to go to but didn't buy anything because the bag I had dreamed of was sold already.


We chilled at Tutmak at Jalan Dewi Sita, then Jana joined us. She asked us to go along to Goa Gajah at Blahbatuh area, so we went there at around 5.30 and went to the ancient Buddhist site, had fun there till it was dark and went back to Monkey Forest, then had dinner at Naughty Nuri's.



We rode our bikes back to Seminyak, the whole an hour ride by 50-70km/hr, and stopped by at Sunset Star to have two cups of ice cream for the three of us at Cold Stone then went home. It was really fun to bike touring with just girls, and Ubud, especially at night, really gave a different atmosphere!

I went to Matahari Kuta Square the other night with Ana. I didn't plan to buy anything, just to accompany her to shop. But then I saw these super cute Nevada shoes and I just couldn't resist to buy them. Plus it was 50% off. So I brought home the pair and really couldn't take it off of my feet. I just love them so much!

You might be interested to come. Why not?

I went to Sanur last Saturday to attend Romulus' big sister's wedding. It was held in Inna Sindhu Beach Hotel, a small family party in white and purple. I managed to dress in grey dress with pink and purple roses which I luckily have in my wardrobe.

So the wedding was very simple with only family and close friends, me as the only stranger there I guess, unless that I know Romulus, Roy Julius and Rinaly (the cousin) from my days in SMP Providentia 15 years ago.

By the way, I met Ben's friend, Natalia, on the wedding, who happens to be Kak Sita's classmate at the ITB's MBA program. I just met her the night before at Warung Bunana nearby my crib... to prove that Bali isn't that big. LOL.

Romulus drove me home after that, stayed at the kost till midnight chatting with Ana too at Plinggih (the Balinese gazebo). It's always nice to meet people we know from the previous city, which brings along a little of Bandung and the memories back alive. But then again, such a different life I am having here so I just gotta drop it there. I am glad to meet him again and did a little catch up, but life goes on and so I am ;)

As I have a room mate now, I learn to share things (as I wrote before). And this, also, to share dreams with her. I have a dream room, the way I'd love my room to be. Lucky for me, Ana has a very similar taste, similar dream, and similar music also (this is important to tune on something during the day/night together in that 12 sqm cubic).

So yesterday, as we got a day off, we went to shop for some painting stuff, browsed for bedside table/desk for our laptops and working surface, and went to Mal Bali Galeria to watch the Avengers. Unfortunately, the ticket was sold out when we got there, so we met Reno and Nova who were already there for some chat.

We then continued our stuff browsing to Ace Hardware and Informa, the place we cherish the most to find cute little things for home. We ended up bought shower caddy to be hung on the shower and a patterned kitchen cloth. I love the latter the most because of its color, and to our surprise, we got 2 for 1. So Ana chose another pattern and we loved it so much.


Tonight, after work, Ana and I went to a shop and bought the rest of what we needed: shoe rack, towel hanger, plastic stool for the bathroom and a small "emergency" desk made of some particle board tray with foldable feet. The "desk" is what I love the most and I wrapped the wooden part with transparent tape. I need to wrap the surface with the cloth I bought yesterday, but let that be tomorrow's project since I am now tired.


We still got plenty of homework to do. Paint the room on Sunday, make some wall racks and buy some bedside tables. But it is really nice to have someone who are very similar to us. The only thing we need to "sacrifice" is that I love purple and she likes blue and a bit of orange. But we both love turquoise and pastels so it's not really a big problem for me. I really can't wait for the room to be painted soon!

I was overjoyed last Friday because my friends from Jakarta were here. Ryan 'Iyank', Otio, Audy, Kelvin, Hanif and their high school friends came and were having late lunch at Good Deal when I messaged Ryan, so I went across the street and said hi. They went to Potato Head Beach Club and I caught up after work at 6 p.m.

So that was my first time to Potato Head and I thought, the place was so cool, no wonder people are talking about it. We waited for Adhe and two other friends to arrive and enjoyed some booze there. At 9 p.m. there was a fantastic fireworks lit up on the beach from the Ferrari guys who held some events at the venue. It was one of the most magical fireworks I've ever seen.

I went home alone at 9.30 and cleaned up the room, skype-ing with Ilham and fell asleep after midnight. I woke up a little late on Saturday and went ahead to Denpasar to get facial treatment at LBC. It was raining all day and I was a little wet when I went back so I stopped at a shop in Imam Bonjol Street, buying a 120x200 mattress. I should've bought this weeks before actually.

It was still 3.30 p.m. so I got some time to do a little shopping so I went to Carrefour at Sunset Road and did shopped a little more there, had my early dinner at A&W, and went home. I met my landowner and paid my rent, open my new mattress and rearrange the furniture until around 8 p.m. Ryan and his friends fetched me to go to Kaizan at Kayu Aya.





We then moved to Brewers Legian, waited for Ana to come, and at around midnight moved again to Sky Garden. The boys had fun, and for me it was a new experience. We had super late supper at Laota, and arrived home at around 5 a.m. It was a super tiring and sleepy night for me.

I woke up at 1 p.m. on Sunday and the boys were coming already. This time Adhe's group fetched me. There were Kelvin, Anggi, Made, Giska (Made's girlfriend), Bisma and Maskur in the car. We went to Uluwatu to meet Ryan's group, which are Bembi, Oja, Hanif, Maleo, Otio, and Audi. We headed to the 'hidden beach' somewhere south.

We held our breaths when we arrived at around 4 p.m. for viewing such beauty. We had to step down the whole 300 stairs to get to the sands and set for the picnic there. I had so much fun there, having my own time of reflection while the boys were playing in the water.

We packed up at 6.30 and went back to the north while Otio was going back to Jakarta. The rest of us went to Jimbaran to have dinner at Menega Cafe. We finished at around 10 p.m. and the boys drove me home. We said goodbye and I felt a little sad to have to separate because I already feel them as my best friends, as brothers I just met. But then again life's all about arrival and departure. We have to cherish the moment while it exists and leave them as sweet memories in our hearts to carry on.

Ana moved in to my place last night and we tried to squeeze in the 12 sqm room for two. It actually is nice to have a room mate, but also I need to learn to share. Share the space, the stuff, and even the habits. This is my first time to share room with someone who isn't from the family, but I found it easy with Ana, because we share similar taste and perspective, and also habits. I think it really is important to see whether the person is a lazy or diligent one, a night or day person, etc. Thank God He prepares the similar one for me.

This is such a great idea when you have a house in a secluded area. Check this one out!




Now, it's time to lock up!







How about applying this on your own house?

I spent my whole weekend with Ana. On Saturday morning I rented a Suzuki Estillo car and fetched Ana at Sanur, then we rode all the way to Ubud by ourselves. We didn't know the exact way to get there so we tried our luck and arrived at the area around midday.

We were looking for cheap wooden furniture but couldn't find it so we stopped at Jl. Hanoman and window shopping for boutiques there. We had lunch at a very nice garden restaurant at Jl. Monkey Forest, and continued our trip with another shopping session.


We went back to Kuta at about sunset time, bought home new dresses and headbands. We had dinner at Bamboo Corner at Poppies Lane I and went around to find a kost place for her but found none that meets our expectations. So we went home tired but feeling fun.

Yesterday morning I went to the usual 9.30 a.m. mass and went to my old kost with Dewi. The boys (Tumpal and Bimo) were there so we chat till midday and I went to McD Pantai Kuta to meet Ana. We had lunch at some warung somewhere between Poppies Lane I and Poppies Lane II and then went for the kost search again. But we ended up at my place and taking rest for about an hour.


We then went to Seminyak beach to meet Rivan and his friends, and we accidentally bumped onto Reno and his girlfriend, Nova. Reno was my junior in junior high school and he was one of the closest I had back then. It was really nice to meet him again after almost 10 years, and we all chilled at Crystal Palace beachfront cafe.

I ended my day by window shopping at Ace Hardware. I love my time alone, but to have a girl friend like Ana (or Cheryl or Rachelle or the EVIL girls or whoever before) is such a blessing. I know God won't let me be alone, even that I don't feel lonely at all. The thing is, best friends make a moment simply merrier. :)

This was my first time going to Nusa Dua last Saturday, and I went there alone by bike. It was Herdi who asked me to come over so I went to meet him midday for lunch together. I drove the whole 20 km to the south and met him at Conrad Hotel. We met Ana by accident, although I already knew she stayed there for the weekend.


So it was me, Herdi, Ana, and her cousins Kak Nissa and Risty, having Padang meal lunch together near the hotel. After that we chilled at poolside and chat till afternoon. Herdi and Risty was on Guess? program so they went before 4 p.m. while the rest of us remained at the hotel.


Ana needed to meet her friend Rivan at Legian so I drove her all the way to the crowd. I didn't bring the spare helmet so I bought the white BOGO helmet on the way at the Bypass. I love the helmet so much tho it's a little too big for my head. But it suits my Fino so fine.

Ana, Rivan and I had dinner together at Mbok Limbok, Jl. Patih Jelantik, before I went for a visit to my old place to meet Tumpal, Bimo and his friends. It was a very tiring day, but I was so happy to find a female best friend here. It was so nice to chat with Ana, and apparently we share similar stories and feelings lately, so I'm just happy with that.

Thanks, God, for not letting me lonely and sending me lots of good friends here :)