Think I have had too many holidays. I’m addicted. And in the moment like now, I’m already high on… a break! I’m intoxicated!

I spent a day with my dear dear friend from Belgium. We saw each other again for the first time after eleven months last night in her parents’ house. It was so nice to see her again. We clicked again right away. This rainy morning, I took her and her two cousins from Holland to Sanur. The famous Sunday market. Just for the fun of it. We didn’t eat much, didn’t shop much. It was drizzling and sunny alternately almost all day.

The traffic in Ubud and on the way to Sanur were incredibly unusual. Full! There were spots that I felt like I was in Jakarta. Sea of cars, and stop. My endurance has run thinner it seems. Bali has pampered me most of the time, traffic wise, but of course nothing is eternal. The girls were asleep.

I dropped my plan to go to Yogya to see my great auntie’s museum project next week. The time doesn’t fit us and really I don’t want to squeeze everything in one single trip. I want to enjoy every moment I spend with myself and close ones. I look forward to starting my next trip in two days though. I have already fixed all appointments: shop, friends, dentist, and hairstylist. A friend suggested us to go picnic in the forest near Bogor that I haven’t said yes. Again, I don’t want to cram all nice things in a pot. It’s going to be a very short visit. Well, five days can be short if every day is fully booked.

A friend shared me about her summer. It s*cks, she said. Her mother in-law is not well, her son’s two lovely dogs passed within 11 days, her new place in other country is not ready yet, two son’s weddings coming within three months… For me, my summer is unusual. So many unusual things happen especially in the past weeks. Till I asked myself more often: it’s me, or it’s the Universe?

It could be me, it could be you!

Sail, sail, sail.

I fall in like with Ubud all over again. I refused to leave house the past two days. The weather is so so lovely although it’s wet again today. The temperature is hardly above 23º all day. Yes, it’s colder when I woke up in the dark. I enjoy bed more and more. Lying awake in the dark half awake half asleep about two hours before get up must have met the recommendation of having a minute of silence before starting the day. It’s not just a minute but minutes but it’s fine, I can also get the benefit to be more aware of what I think, of what I do.

So many significant things happened in the past days. It’s just strange that suddenly I claimed to be in the map. I did something I never did before to relatives for I felt I have shared ample of tolerance for so long with her. It was not one of my days maybe but I strongly claimed my time and privacy instead of entertaining relatives who doesn’t know the value of time and privacy. I’m still amazed that I could do it!  It might never cross my Javanese mind without my foreigner sister and foreigner friend around.

I made quite a good progress around house and homework. I removed the guest bed in the living room yesterday so I can redecorate and… reconsidering. I prepared the next three years of my shop in Monkey Forest. Feel like I have done much but I haven't actually.  I cannot believe I will only stay in Ubud two weeks since I got back from a month away last June. Time flies, time stays.

It’s rare that I have a firm idea for my next travel but haven’t got into a real itinerary yet. I keep checking out calendar, asking and talking with friends and myself like I don’t know what I want. I blame it on Ubud. Because… I want to stay in longer.

My favorite statuettes from Timor.

I feel like king today! Not even queen! I’m on top of the world. I have all the authority to have… fun!

Spending two days with a lady with sort of problems, I found my life simple. Too simple. Or complicatedly simple. It's simple because I can be so happy just because of the weather at the moment. It's so perfect! It’s sunny, but it’s so breezy cool at 25-26º in the afternoon! Summer has come to Bali, I hope. Dry but cool unlike the weather when I got in two weeks ago – wet and wet.

So, yes, I don’t want to do anything today. I practically spent the past four days for other people – friends and relatives. I missed exercise and being idle – mind and body. It was nice but I realize now it’s also tiring in and out. But no day without learning, I learned to master more creating a ‘micro environment’ of my life. In museum theory and practice, micro environment is any small enclosure that has its own internal climate. In life, or in my life, a micro environment means my small enclosure that addresses issues but in the smaller size and scope. I’m better and better in grouping other people’s issues, and my own, so I know which to deal and which to discard.

I discard almost all people’s issues. I listen but I take great distance from it. I stay outside and even try not to watch. I acknowledge mine and only choose that needs ‘better management.’ Thing that doesn’t add to my happiness, simply goes to Trash (like in Mac), and I Empty Trash frequently. I’m happy with my achievement so far. I feel lighter just because I put others’ as my mirror to know what’s more important in my life. And I don’t let people take what’s important for me from me.

Hey, I feel good! I’m going to host three relatives for two nights from tonight! I also expect to see three good friends to the weekend and plan on my next 3-city tour.  Again, it’s always nice to have something to anticipate every day.

Another portrait of a good life.

What a second day of cleaning house! For one, I’m going to host relatives in the next four nights but it’s also time for me to give the house ‘a big bath.’ It’s been long since the past two long trips I made. I hardly stayed home long enough to give some parts a thorough attention. I raided those nook and cranny especially in the kitchen and bathroom where there’s open part. Ubud dust can be black like in polluted metropolitan. It might be because of the damp weather that the dirt sticks. Anyway, it’s a really big project I have been doing the past two mornings.

I had late lunch with good girlfriends from Perth and lives in Ubud. We’re all ex-Jakartan. It was a nice hilarious lunch. It’s so nice to listen to girls talking about what they fantasized. Face job under knives. Thing that hasn’t been in my mind (yet). I liked the way they were so frank about what they visualized when they were by themselves in front of mirror. Pull here, pull there. No wonder that such business has become big the past decade.

I went grocery shopping before home and ran across some neighbors. My dear neighbor was so excited to see me. Yea, it’s been one month at least. Catch up on Facebook is not enough, we talked about his ill Mom and his happy life with his boyfriend. Then I spotted my neighbor who looks after the stray dog that came to our compound some time ago. She and her husband were so nice to have taken the dog to vet to get vaccination. Sally has become a communal alarm now. She sleeps in front of my neighbor’s door. Cute dog I grow to like more each day.

So for such a simple shopping, I spent an hour! A good hour with catch up so nothing wasted. I skipped a visit to my great-auntie in the evening because of uncertain time and it was raining. I rescheduled the meeting to tomorrow morning. I can see that I won’t have much time for my shop and myself in the coming two weeks. I got more emails from friends abroad and in Jakarta asking to meet up in Ubud. Fine!

Another billboard in the National Library, Singapore.

The past few days, especially today, a strange thing is happening. I’m not sure, it’s me, or it’s me? My 3-day roommate asked Pardon? a lot during our time together that I thought hard if my speech was so unclear that she could not hear. Sometimes I had to repeat a word or a short sentence twice to make her understand what I tried to tell. Two good male friends once told me that my articulation was a blur. And when I open mouth so that my articulation becomes clearer, a friend thought I mocked.

I felt like playing Srimulat comedy sometimes. I almost burst out laughing when one morning my roommate thought I said Taj Mahal but actually I mentioned something else (that I forgot) which sounded totally different. I observed her. It might not be my fault. Often I thought people who are not able to ‘listen’ well have a busy mind, or I often said, are in the other world. I have to understand but it annoys me at the same time. Or, I might have annoyed them also?

But… it doesn’t happen to oral discourse only. I learned the past two days from Facebook that people can totally lose track of events though the thread of conversation is there and so clear (to me). Like when I said I miss home, two friends commented Happy traveling!. Couldn’t they see the context? Miss home = happy traveling? And worse, in the thread, a friend already talked about how we could have met in airport means… it’s past tense. Now I’m being a complicated linguist! I’m just curious and wondering.  My hypothesis is not many people 'read.' Often a friend asks something I already mention in email. Oh, you should put it in separate email? Does it guarantee? I doubt it. When you don’t read/listen, you don’t read/listen.

I mildly snapped at my masseuse this afternoon after several Hah?! from her side. She hardly let me finish my statement when she Hah?! me. I told her to wait and listen before reacted. I don’t like to do this but after my experience the past days, I have come to my top.

It reminds me of a book critics (cum-editor) post in his blog:

Writer: May I speak to the editor?

Editor: You are speaking to him.

Writer: I was asked to talk to you to have my book published?

Editor: Why don’t you email me your manuscript?

Writer: I am a good writer, though I don’t write English very well!

Editor: Why don’t you email me your manuscript and let me decide that?

Writer: Do you think you could get it translated into Chinese for the China [Chinese] market?

Editor: Why don’t you email me your manuscript?

Writer: Do you think you can get my book translated into other languages as well?

Editor: Why don’t you email me your manuscript?

Writer: I am quite free, you know. I am able to travel all over the world to talk about my book.

Editor: But first, why don’t you email me your manuscript and let me take a look at it?

Writer: I was advised not to send my book to a vanity press in America. Do you think I should have my book published that way?

Editor: Publishers can only publish so many books. Most manuscripts are rejected for many, many reasons, some obvious, some not so obvious. If no publisher wants to publish your book, and if you are adamant about having it published, then you go to a vanity press. You get what you pay for, get it!

Writer: What about a self-publisher?

Editor: You mean you want to publish it yourself?

Writer: No, I want to give it to a self-publisher?

Editor: And who is this self-publisher? Yourself?

Writer: My book is really good, you know? No writer has ever done what I have done!
...

Happy Srimulat-ing!

A billboard at the National Library Singapore.

Now I feel tired. I’m ready to stay home for the next two weeks at least. I realized when standing in the queue in Changi this afternoon how tired I'm of traveling. Especially international trip, where we are needed to check in two hours before at least, plus standing in the queue in immigration and security check at the gate. Somehow I can understand why some people are not keen of traveling. Stay in the comfort zone is always nice: no queue, no uncertainty.

Three days passed in a blip. The things we can do in Singapore is the same with in Jakarta: shopping and dining. My friend and I spent the first day in one mall (only) for seven hours. Yesterday, we planned to go to a museum but ended up feeling ‘full’ after meeting an interesting American friend in the National Library. It’s not because of her that we're feeling full but the humidity in the nice alfresco café where we sat 1.5 hours. We felt refreshed after listening to an interesting life story of an American in Singapore. Been eight years around, she is preparing her ‘next life’ somewhere in Asia. Ubud is on her top list that I am more than supportive of her. She is a writer. Writer is a flexible profession these days as the world is so connected.

We decided to watch matinee near our hotel instead of visiting a museum. We’d been eying the title since the first day. After an unexpectedly big lunch, we entered the theater. The building is not ‘young’ so the alleys to each studio. We found ours in the end on an alley. The door is made of steel like a storage door. It was already dark inside that we needed some time to get used to the contour of the room. No contour! It’s a flat room and the screen is high up there. It reminded me of cinema in my childhood where we had to look up to the screen because it’s not in the eye level. For the second time, after experiencing unsteady connection in the room of a 5-star hotel, we wondered Is this Singapore?

Ninety eight minutes later, I felt my neck broken from looking up and moving it from right to left constantly. I sat behind a man that of course his head was taller than me, so in a flat room, I was gone! It was a so-so movie, brilliant story, simplified ending ala Hollywood. The trouble maker ‘is killed’ within minutes after the short suspense. The family then lives happily ever after. It’s not fair after a brilliant start!

It was raining in Singapore this morning. Nice for a change after two days of sun and high humidity. My friend and I didn’t have idea for the day. We only had half day to spend together. We spent long hours at the breakfast before decided to roam a mid-class mall across the hotel. It’s a ‘fun’ mall housing tailors, internet depots, salons, and low-priced clothing shops. Although all come in reasonable prices, but they make efforts to make their business place interesting through its displays.

We had time to finish fruits in the room before I left for the airport first. My friend still needed to fetch her document in Indonesian Embassy before airport. It was all smooth the way I wanted but still… the idea of staying home for a couple weeks is nice!

By the way, before breakfast, I arranged my next travel two weeks from now. It’s always nice to know when the next is.

Twilight up in the air near Bali.

It’s strange last night. I was so curious about the final result of the World Cup but I didn’t feel like staying up for the match. It’s 2:30 Singapore time. My friend and I went to bed around 00:30. She arrived a bit late then we walked to find something to nibble so we were late to bed.

I awoke about 70 minutes after the match started. I went online in the dark to see the result. It’s was still 0-0. Just a few minutes after I switched off, I heard Hoaaaaa… from somewhere so I went online again. Nothing happened. I struggled for some minutes to get back to sleep. I managed. I think I dreamed about the football. I was so anxious because many of my friends were for Spain while my knowledge was Netherland has good football players. I was just confused and so curious to see if Paul the Octopus were right again in predicting this time.

I woke up late and went online right away. I feel sorry that Netherlands lost. But even, I was amazed knowing how they played. It’s so rough! No wonder they don’t get much… respect? My friend in Amsterdam said it’s so quiet on the street, no more parties till morning so she slept soundly before catching train to Berlin. It’s so interesting learning how excited they were and suddenly died out.

I already said to myself I’m not going to shop for clothes, shoes, and books. I have enough! But I don’t mind checking out underwear. My friend joined me sooner than we had expected. We roamed Orchard street just before the shops open at 11. Seven hours later, just in one mall (the old Ngee Ann City), we bought all we thought we need. I didn’t buy shoes and books, but the former and the latter. I won’t do again tomorrow! Shall I repeat? Don’t believe me…

A picture posted on Facebook only a few hours after the match over.

Idling in airport can be fun! Fun because there’s no other option if we have to wait. I arrived in airport a bit too early. It happens when my flight leaves in the early afternoon; my day is chopped into two. I’m not here in the morning, neither there in the afternoon. It’s okay, it’s just another day spent in airport.

The queue in check-in counter was long. Long and there’s uncertainty in the air. I observed the weary tanned travelers from Bali ready to hop onto the next holiday destination, Bangkok. Traveling is fun, always, but yes you need good stamina because of the waiting and all the procedures in airport. I was in the queue for half hour, not so bad. The check-in counter staff was so efficient. That’s when we spent some $4 to assign a seat. No seat searching needed.

My flight was delayed almost an hour. I thought about it, or, I might have projected on it to happen. I already told some friends that I never experienced delay on the budget airlines I just tried last January. It’s fine, I can still handle an hour. I have all day to just travel today although I don’t go that far, only 2.5 hours away from Denpasar.

This week is definitely a ‘Jakarta week’ for me. I spent time from Friday to Thursday next week with old friends from Jakarta who already live away from Indonesia. It’s part of spending summer in Bali. The coming three days, I will be in Singapore with a good friend lives in Jakarta. It’s been years we didn’t travel together so we are excited to anticipate our time together. The timing is so perfect as we don’t see each other much since I moved to Bali and she spends almost half year in London with her boys.

The final match of World Cup will be at 2:30 am Singapore time tomorrow. I’m not into it but learning the hype I cannot resist but consider to watch somewhere near hotel. I’m not sure though since I don’t care that much (except that in my face many of my friends are for Spain, I am very curious why?!) and I’m not sure if my roommate will kick us enough to watch. If I were in Bali, I might consider to watch the match with friends on Sanur beach. I got invitation for the fun together. See? It’s the hype!

I am now on board. I left my main laptop at home for the first time. It’s only a short trip so I thought I can survive without it. I already got the first hit of not having my laptop. I forgot to charge my music! I know it has some hours still but I have started to feel ridiculously insecure. I also didn’t prepare to download pictures on this travel laptop as I consider this laptop public. The latter doesn’t matter much but it’s just odd that I feel I’m not going to be that updated!

Think I will be off now. I have an unusual male-male couple neighbor, holding hands (fine), but one sings out loud with his iPad plays something with audible noise. What a patient spouse he has!

I uploaded this post from a tea-house in the latest upmarket mall in Orchard. So noisy on Sunday afternoon when getting a seat was quite tough!