I’m a vegetable for a bit today. I had big plans for the next days including flying home that as a consequence I dropped my dates (yes plural) with some good friends in Jakarta this week. Dates that we had made a few weeks ago. I felt a bit bad when told a good friend about my plan to cancel our date. She has been so understanding and I was touched by her remarks. Your body also needs a rest. Do not stretch it just because you like to be constantly on the move. Then I felt bad.  I reconsidered my decision that had been set since I got up. I rescheduled my ticket and all fell into places.

Two friends already suggested me to rest for a few days before flying home. I still cannot accept the reality that my body is under the weather. Literally, I feel under the weather. Like it’s sunny out there and I’m under it (cloudy). I told my friend I don’t like the reality that I don’t have appetite even for food I used to crave. Our body is so powerful when it has come to send signals for us to stop torturing.

My other friend was so happy that I have more time to see her and her three boys visiting from London. I look forward to meeting them too. Now I have settled down about my new decision to accept Jakarta for a week. My cousin in Denpasar was in disbelief that I will stay in Jakarta that long. Yes, that long! I shall not think about it.

Here I am stay home, in computer, and in bed with Chiko the cat. We enjoy our closeness and way to communicate. There’s something magical about befriending with a cat. The unspoken language that binds us. I have created another mini-environment for my life in Jakarta so I’m able to survive being away from home. Where is home? The Indonesian lady I met in airport last night asked the same question. I told her, for me, I create home wherever I am.

I’m at home now!

The creature that turns house into home.

I don’t feel super the past days, or after the food tour. I still try to figure out what might be the culprit. This afternoon I got an insight, it might be my blood sugar level goes low. It’s been long I didn’t have sugar on my diet. I often have water after every meal, no juice in resto that usually contains sugar, and normally I don’t have sugar in my tea and kopi Bali. Ha. I’ve been too hard to my body it seems. I had tea with two teaspoonful of sugar before left for airport.

I left four hours before my departure because my friend’s flight leaves two hours earlier. It didn’t matter, airport living has become my monthly routine. I flew from terminal I’d never been so it’s all new to me. I used porter for the first time in Manila. My porter was so kind and smiley. I was lucky too the check-in counter let me in although it’s still one hour away before the counter opens.  Also, my 22.4 kilos went in without negotiation. He didn’t ask about my hand-carry bags either that obviously heavy (with two laptops) and big (with two wooden frames). I stuffed my handbag a bit since I was afraid of the kilos.

I pondered a lot about 15-20 kilos we can bring. How can a normal person carry stuff weigh 15-20 kilos when a good light expensive bag already weighs 4.5 kilos. 10-15 kilos of clothes, shoes, cosmetic, books and other survival kits? How can we? My chunky stone necklaces cannot travel with me. I complain a lot about this issue already. A friend who also travels a lot and obviously not a light packer like me said that our life is segmented into 20-kilo parcels. She might be true. I have survived living out of 20 kilos every other month. It should be fine!

Terminal 2 is great. Maybe it’s just me, but I realized the ground staffs are more smiley than in the other terminal. I should not compare, they are smiley period. The building is neat and clean but not too big (six gates as far as I can see). Only a few places for shopping (very few compares to the famous Changi) and only three to four eating stops that offer burgers of any kind.

True about traveling by self opens up to a new human connection. So lack of wi-fi connection has brought me and a family from Indonesia to have a conversation. They are bound for LA from Singapore where they live. It’s an interesting exchange about what you do, what I do. She found my life story interesting, so did I find hers. Exchanging name card closed the conversation, or connection?

I am still two hours away from departure. I better get something to eat although I can expect a late dinner on the airplane. It’s going to be too late for me to eat. I will continue reading the food tour book instead of my magazine that is sold in combo (with the edition about the new Mr. President who’s going to be officiated this coming Wednesday). I have enough information about him. Another interesting life in other country.

NAIA Terminal 2, 27.6.10 18.56

Flower arrangement at Bale Dutung, Angeles City.

It’s full moon and partial lunar eclipse today. Said whatever you put out will come back ten fold. Tennn fold!!

It’s been long I didn’t blame on full moon for my being a little uneasy in cruising the day. This time I blame it more on the food tour. My body feels uneasy since I got back from the trip that I reckon as part of the hiking level of cholesterol I have the issue for so long. It might not be either since I didn’t eat that much! But for sure, I ate what I don’t normally eat.

I don’t like uncertainty and that comes along with the uneasy feeling today. I blame it on the uncertainty of… packing my stuff! I need to carry some eight frames of my collage work that I don’t know how much kilo I would end up. In the back of my mind, I know things will sort out by itself. I should not have worry about anything. Anything! Practically anything!!!

Who else is to blame? Full moon, lunar eclipse, food tour, and uncertainty?

I have my website officiated (read: paid) today. Knowing that whatever we put out will come back ten fold, I can expect my website will be fruitful ten fold. Aamiin. I’m happy that finally I can claim the dot com address. It was an endless series of thoughts in the past how I can have a website with a little help from others. I like to have full control of my things. I made it today!

I just got an idea too! I may want to fly back to Ubud as soon as Tuesday. I had big dreams of going to Palembang, then Bandung, and now? None! I promised a good friend though to watch the annual production of the dance company she works at. I will figure out what’s proper and not proper about this promise. I deal with quite many propers and not-propers these days. The past week, at least three of my good friends sent me email JUST because they ask me a favor. I’m lost what’s proper these days. I haven’t replied to any. I let the time responds the way they respond to my hallo-email (not even asking a favor).

Do I have enough things to blame now? I let the full moon passes first.

Half window buried by lahar at the church of Bacolor, the Philippines.

I still could not think of what I want to eat this afternoon. My food tour yesterday has given me more than enough taste to the next few days. I was too brave to go on a food tour but nothing to be scared either.

I decided to join one of MVP summer tours when I was still in Ubud. I haven’t traveled out of Manila enough that I need to use any opportunity to just travel. And traveling with friends, old and new, is always nice! So I join the tour to Pampanga (about 80 km, 2 hours from Manila) yesterday.

It was quite a big group, 22 ladies and 1 gentleman. We rode a nice coach that had just enough seats for us. It’s nice. I sat by the President, my good friend once lived in Jakarta but we only got to know each other in Manila. I didn’t feeling well when left Manila but it’s nice to catch up with my mate in the two-hour trip.

First stop was the 16th century church of Bacolor that half-buried in lahar caused by the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in 1991. It was buried about 8 meters deep so the front door now was window of the choir loft above the was front door. From outside, the proportion of the building looks a bit out. The museum of the lahar is in the other room inside the church. I was mesmerized by the new building inside the old building. Some doors become so low that we have to duck to enter a room.

The next visit is the Betis Church nearby which was spared from the lahar flow. It was originally built in the 17th century and restored in the 18th century. It has beautiful paintings on the ceiling and in contrast to most century-old churches the floor is made of wood. It has been named a National Cultural Treasure.

After a quick visit to the churches, we went 30 minutes away to the highlight of the tour. 10 (or more)-course lunch at Bale Dutung owned by artist/chef Tayag. I liked the place at first sight! I love wood and art out of recycled things. Perfect! The artist grew passion for cooking only lately that now he enjoys producing food to sell (pure crab fat, fermented shrimp rice, vinegar, etc.) and open his house-cum-studio for people to taste Pampanga cuisine (their local).

His wife is a really good guide for the food tour. She gave introduction of the food we’re going to experience before each course. She guided our taste buds by explaining the difference of, say, with or without vinegar or with or without chili. Before the next course, she asked about our greater liking for the option over another. She also asked us to compare Pampanga cuisine with other local cuisine like Indonesia. There were at least 10 nationalities at the table so the discussion was fun!

After the fourth course, I lost track. After the fifth, the host-cum-food-tour-guide distributed frozen rolled hand towels for the aircon. It was hot though airy in the silong (space below the house; ground floor) where we sat. She showed us what to do with that frozen hand towel on our President. She rubbed the rolled towel on face, neck, head, and made a stop at eyes, ears, and temples. We followed the example at once. We had fun playing with the cold towel. We’re not supposed to unroll it so the temperature can stay for two hours. It’s impossible to unroll either since the water is frozen. It’s a brilliant idea to cool down the body temperature!

Each course was in small portion that is good. After the seventh, the host announced that’s the end of the appetizer. We’re not there yet? We’re looking at each other curious of what would be the next because the challenge had been growing. The host staged the taste from simple to more intricate so by the end of the tour our taste buds are full already. She guaranteed we would not want to repeat the course after the dessert, if we want, the food would be free of charge!

The first main course was pork floss served a la Peking Duck with thin pancake (like pita bread) and spring onion and spicy sauce. I had very little to taste. The second main course was interesting. Guava soup served with steamed veggies and chilies and king prawns. Eat with banana leaf-wrapped rice. I liked the soup so much that heard even Mr. Bourdain was amazed. It tasted like guava with mushroom soup texture. Perfect! I skipped the last main course totally. It’s clam and other seafood that looked greasy.

I looked forward to having the dessert. We got an extra dessert because of our tour guide, Tibok-tibok made of carabao milk. The main dessert was wow… It took us to Paradiso before the coffee. Four and a half hours past. We were being two-hour late to leave Angeles City to Manila. We were stuck in the after-office-hour traffic after the toll road. I was half in the air already. I got headache! My system protested. Having been on lean diet for so long, my system didn’t endorse greasy and high cholesterol food. Or, my taste buds have been simplified by the diet that it needs to be adjusted?

Got home I feel rich not just in taste buds…

PS: I am now reading Tayag's culinary journal Food Tour.  It shows the wonderful life of the couple as food lover and lovers.

The Church of Bacolor.

Been two days sitting at home creating a website, I don’t mind to see the sun today. It was already hot when I stood by the road waving to taxis. I am picky, they are pickier. I have become master of quick selecting passing taxis because the majority taxis around are… not so good. And many of the good ones are taken! Like many things else in life.

Some did not show interest, maybe they had other appointment. One refused knowing where I was heading to. Diliman is about an hour from Makati. I got in one finally and I could not be pickier, it’s getting hot outside. I sipped carton milk while observing the cabin. The driver was nice to help me lock all doors manually. I checked the handle for winding the windows. It looked work! Being a Jakartan and now in other metropolitan, I’m alert to signs.

Taxis in Manila are generally clean. Only busy inside! Today I sat next to a thin pillow with Winnie-the-Pooh cover. Rosario and other religious beads are usually hung on the rear-view mirror like a shrine itself. On top of that, the furry-like dashboard cover often makes me feel sweaty. And today I enjoyed the bright red dashboard frame! Apart from the usual water bottle, today I also spotted a razor. There’s always something to observe.

I observe, the taxi driver observes (me). The first 10 minutes at least, often I can feel the driver observing me discreetly from the rear-view mirror. Familiar look, unfamiliar accent. Where's she from? Chatty drivers may ask quite instantly. Aloof drivers wait till I start a conversation, if ever, or give direction. Drivers with little English will keep observing and hardly ever ask. It becomes part of my game. I ask them to guess if they ask rather than give them a direct answer. Today, the driver’s first guess was… China. Rarely I came from China! But okay, it’s still better than the usual Thailand. For a change…

My friend I knew at the museology training last April took me to the Open University office in the campus of an old university in the Philippines. I was interested to know about the program since I could not access it on their website. We stopped by the lobby where the office is to enjoy artworks made from recycled computers. Recycled stuff always have a place in my heart so I took my time to do the art tour.

Gathered all the information from the office, we walked the campus. My friend asked if I’m interested to try riding the famous jeepney. More than happy! I’d been trying to do but hardly had a chance! It’s a really nice long car with low ceiling that walking inside bending is quite an art. We were off at a museum inside the campus. An important museum named after a major of Manila, the university graduate, who donated his collection to the university. The painting collection is interesting, many are from the 18th century. Realism to postmodern. We were lucky to have an official guide took us around. I enjoyed the mix in the collection. It has inspired me!

We ended our meeting in the museum café outside the building. It’s non-aircon but popular among the students because of the wireless connection is good and free. I realized not many places in this city have free wifi. We need voucher. In the university, the signal is weak, my friend who teaches in the university told me. So this simple and modern café turns into a get-together place. I enjoyed sitting in the heat because the view is green. So green that the color covers the whole screen when I took picture of benches under the trees.

I shall visit the campus again next time! As student already, maybe?

The green.

You invest a lot of your time online, Blogger warns.

Yes, yes, I have invested two days to work on my now website! I just got the idea to create a blog for my creation last week then I thought about other artists who have been ‘working’ with me the past decade. I want to give them a special place in my business. I set aside artifacts! I want to focus on creative people who are already there waiting to be exposed.

Set up a new blog, I got the idea to claim back a four-year-old blog to revamp. Blogger has developed its feature tremendously since I used first time four years ago. I’m happy to see and follow. I remember the days I wanted to have a sophisticated blog under other popular service among journalists but I just didn’t have the patience to go through unfamiliar settings. But look at me these two days, I just went through all the settings and new features that in the end of the day my eyes felt full of HTML code. I had fun!

The blog frame looks really nice like website created by a professional. Blogger is great too since we can convert the free service with little pay to get a real web address with… dot com! Now I waste the web-designing program I installed the other month. Nothing is wasted though, I can still use for the sake of curiosity later.

Like working in office, I sat quietly at home from 8 to 7 at least. Uninterrupted! Photoshop and HTML have eaten me! I’m so proud of Blogger and myself. Now a big amount of work has been waiting that is uploading the content into each tab. I have quite a lot of material on Facebook page that I haven’t figured out how to incorporate them in the web. This is when they talk about static and dynamic website. Now I understand.

Not just that, I also understand why we have to pay a lot for a web designer to work on our project. We buy their time! I work on my own idea and still need at least two full days to make it happen. I cannot imagine the amount of communication we have to make with a web-designer to work on our project. Let alone the time they spend to actually make the web pages ready and later to maintain. Ayayayayy…

So I have put my feet on the shoes! Now I know! I also found out that this trip to Manila is kind of retreat to me. I’m able to see my daily life in Ubud with helicopter view. To see what I need and want to do back home. I look forward to many now… I have a new toy! La la la…

Share you a bit of the web page.

It’s Father’s Day. It’s so different than last week when Saturday was the Independence Day. The weekend was quiet as many were out of town for the long weekend. Today was special. Mall parking spaces were full and sea of people could be seen inside the malls and restaurants. I never celebrated Father’s Day because it’s not a tradition in Indonesia and also Indonesian does not have local Hari Bapak to appreciate all the fathers in Indonesia, let alone the world.

So it’s quite new to me that I happened to be here on Father’s Day. Maybe it’s my imagination but I saw many happy men (must be fathers?) with gifts on their hands walking in the mall with the family. People also gathered to listen to music played by elders in a mall. It was fun, they all looked happy together. On the way back, I was mesmerized by the running text in huge size in the intersection of Makati that flashed good wishes for Fathers in the world. It’s totally new to me!

I have finalized a part of my new project with my shop. I created a total presentation of my artwork as model for other artists I’m going to feature. I plan to focus on other artists from tomorrow on. I still have two weeks before I get back in Ubud. I so look forward to being in Ubud again but I’m just happy wherever I am. Limited option is nice some time as it opens up other opportunities if we dare to look for them.

"Juggling," my gift for a father.

Sitting in Starbucks now, I’m reminiscing. My art juice is flowing very well since the past days. I created four fabulous assemblages as a start of a new concept of my shop. It doesn’t come easy to realize that I have some talents if I want to explore. I have let it buried deep for so long. Some friends have tried to convince me that I can do something with my art, or, I can share it with other art-fans with pay. In other words… my art is sell-able. How can I see that?

Anyway, the new concept of my shop would be… featuring talented artists in and out Ubud I know well. I will create a corner for each artist to display her/his work including mine. I have held some artists’ work since long time but hardly had I featured them as individual. I have sort of treated their work as merchandise although I also provide the background of the work including about the artist. I want to do more for their arts and at the same time for mine. Put them all in foreground!

I’m quite excited about my new idea. I realized this morning it’s so nice to have something to look forward every day. In Ubud, I look forward to having retreat in Manila. In Manila, I look forward to materializing ideas I got from the retreat. My friend said the other day that it seems I need more than one home to live that I showed strong disagreement. I thought I enjoy living in one post only. I thought. Now I agree with his statement. I really enjoy changing place and scenery, not just for traveling but more… to have enough time to be in a retreat.

I still have some eight days before my retreat ends. I have told myself to finish off my new idea so that I will be really ready when I get in Ubud. I don’t have much time when I’m back. Summer has started and my staff will start her maternity-leave soon. I will be fully in charge at the shop for at least two months. It excites me somehow.

My third artwork “What We Forget”