hello, how have you been?

 Day 4 of 30 days writing challenge : A place I want to visit

If you know me you probably already know how much I love to travel. Perhaps I’ve told you once I dreamt of travelling the world. I dream of seeing the northern lights and diving deep into the coral reefs of bunaken. Or seeing sakura in full bloom in the picturesque Kyoto.

Now I think I’ve been to a lot of places. (But not those three I mentioned)

If you asked me, where else do I want to go?

My answer would be : I think anywhere is fine.

Every and each places are so enchanting. Different scents, different sounds, different food, different people. Just give it some time, and I’d fall in love with every city I have visited.

And with love, came heartbreaks—a hold in my heart knowing that I might never get to return. Once is never enough. Whenever you leave, a part of your heart remains.

But still, I’d travel and fall in love again.

And then, with heart worn out, I’d like to return home. I’d like to return to every home, where I left pieces of my heart behind.

I’d like to go back, to where there are familiar smiles. A place where I can find my favorite food on the table. A place where I can drink tea and have some biscuits.

A place where I can just sit, and ask, hello, how have you been?

 

the place in my memory

 Day 3 of 30 days writing challenge : A memory.

Somehow, I have such a vivid memory of my time spent in Kompleks Sesarehan Gunung Kawi (Kawi Mountain’s Temple Complex).

Back then, my parent had just divorced, and my mother brought me over to her best friend’s house. They were a Chinese-Indonesian couple who owned a traveler’s lodging house in the heart of one of Malang’s most famous pilgrimage site. My mother had to sustain us, so she had to leave to work somewhere far away. And so, there I was, by myself, in a stranger’s house, in an unknown place.

Yet, I remember it as one of the happiest times of my childhood.

Life in Gunung Kawi was simple.

Every morning I woke up, often shivering, inhaling the fresh mountain air. It was a long holiday before I started first grade of elementary school, so as a kid I naturally had all the time in the world for the day.

There was a never-ending friendly debate each morning between my new family—whether it is better to eat before you brush your teeth or brush your teeth before you eat. (Now, I believe in the first premise.)

The kind auntie liked me, since I was described as a smart and obedient kid, so I had no trouble with anyone. I had no friends to play with but there were a lot of cute, round turkeys I used to chase around in front of the house. I had a bag of frutella candies that I kept like a treasure, and I carefully ate them one by one, each day.

And every day, I went exploring.

Sesarehan Gunung Kawi was so festive, with all the red decorations, busybodies going on pilgrimages, candles, bells, souvenirs, and street foods all over the place. I think I might have been there on a special occasion. The bathhouse just beside my place was always steaming from the hot waters. Ginger drinks and hot meatballs plagued the place.

If I tread down the small road by the bath house, away from the main street, I’d find steps leading down a bamboo forest, with fresh river waters. People say the water was miraculous, so at the end of that road, there was another huge bathhouse in the middle of the bamboo forest.

If I come up the main stairs towards the mosque at the top of the hill, I’d see a lot of temples with red and white candles and charms and ribbons. The scent of incense was in the air. It was strange, now that I think of it, that the mosque and the temple were side by side, both merry with visitors. I just thought, it was interesting. And I kept going.

And one day, on one of those days, a big, big paper dragon and barongsai would dance down the steps, fluttering and jumping and blinking and turning their heads left, right, up and down, followed by so many costumed people dancing and playing festival instruments, with bright colors and loud musics.

It was such an enchanting time.

I visited the nice auntie a while ago. Sometimes I wish that place would just stay in my mind. Except for the nice auntie, everything else seemed to have faded. The nature, the food, the festivity. The colors. The sounds.

The bath house near the lodging house was in ruins, and a dog took shelter in the middle of a pouring rain.

How long was I there, back then? I was so small, so I have no idea.

The place in my memory, maybe it’s now all gone.

 

 

This might be why I love Spirited Away so damn much. Once upon a time, I, too was spirited away to some unknown land... then part with those I came to love.

the girl in love with the sky

 Day 1 and 2 of writing challenge :

Describe your personality and the things you love

First of all, I have no idea how to describe myself. But I’ll tell you a thing or two, maybe.

Some people say I am strange. But I don’t know what is strange, or what is not. What I do, is just what comes naturally to me. So… here comes!

Well, first of all, someone’s personality came from their genes, and their upbringing. I’ve no idea about genes, but I was raised by at least 7 different parents.

You can skip this part.

First I was raised by my biological parents; then they were too busy that I was basically raised by the grandmas of my neighborhood. Then things happened, that my mom had to raise me alone. Then, I was left at a really kind auntie and uncle’s house, which was a lodging house for travelers. Then, my grandma took me. Then my dad and my step mother took me. Then my brother and his wife took me.

And finally, my mom and step dad took me.

End of skippable part.

I grew up as an obedient and bright kid to whomever took me in, and growing up, I was interested in two things: books, especially those with pictures; and nature around me: plants, animals, and most importantly, the sky. I’ve no idea when, but I have always been so obsessed with the sky.

Well… Isn’t the sky always so pretty?

And how about now, you ask? Now…

Perhaps I am still the same, basically?

I am really curious, sometimes to a fault. I naturally crave to wander and see the world. People intrigue me, I’d like to know how they think, how they feel. Why they do what they do.

How did this world come to be? I wondered that. And why am I here? I still haven’t got any reason why.

And stories, are a peek to the worlds inside people’s mind. So how marvelous is that, that we can travel so many worlds at once?

I think I’m pretty transparent. I can’t lie for the life of me, or pretend. But I am very good at forgetting. And I am very good at spacing out. So that helps I guess?

With this transparent self, I can still carry a lot of secrets.

I think I’m pretty loyal, too. I’m one of those friends who will help you no matter what. I empathize a lot, so it’s also though sometimes.

Also, I think I’m pretty random. I’ve got reason for all I do, but I think, I’m too in love with this world? There are so many things and reasons you can find to do anything. I’m pretty strict with myself, and my values are something no one can negotiate with, but I’m really open to change.

And although I’m pretty bold with my choices, I hate to decide things for others. My choices are for myself, and I’ll carry the consequences, fully.

One more thing, I hate to notice my ego.

I love it when ‘I’ do not exist. I am simply a pair of eyes and a pair of ears. All the smells of the air may pass me by. My heart goes with the laughters, the chirps, the rustles of those around me.

I love it when a kid jumps into a bunch of gravels. I love it when the leaves spins, blown away by the wind. I love it when sun ray went into a dark room, and the dust dances, floating among themselves.

At times like that, I am most happy, by myself.

I guess like the sky, like the wind, they have no secrets. Sometimes they are bright, sometimes there are storms. They are always with you. They move endlessly.

There is no limit.

Maybe that’s how I want to be.

 

This is a few months old but I want to post it here... Writing challenge. It's not finished but I'll write more if I feel like it.

I'll post more as I go.

Sorry for deserting this blog for so long. (to no one in particular lol) 

Bonus : Water Lily

Listing Out Plans

I am quite happy to say that a lot of my childhood dream and long-time little bucket lists are starting to come true! And mostly in the past year! So great!

Some of these weren't really bucket lists but I'm so glad to accomplish them.

I'll list them down here and keep track of it all.

DIY Stuff I want to do :

[X] Having my own small garden
[   ] Having my own lawn
[   ] Having my own small forest
[   ] Eating from my own lawn/garden
[X] Having a coral vine
[X] Having a pet cat
[   ] Making a terrarium mini forest
[   ] Making an aquascape terrarium
[X] Routinely making new year postcard
[   ] Re-layout bedroom

Money Related

[X] Having art-craft business (on progress: Srasa Project) with friends
[   ] Try selling Yoghurt with meme
[X] Start on small savings

Art
[   ] Publishing story
[   ] Writing illustrated storybook (on progress!)
[X] Teaching drawing privately
[X] Teaching drawing class
[   ] Making easy how-to-draw tutorials (started!)
[   ] Publishing easy how-to-draw books

Travel, Learning, and Passion

[X] Having social project in other islands (Arkom in Palu, Pontianak, Lombok, and NTT project with Ms. Karina)
[X] Helping people for a living (Arkom Works!)
[X] Continue travelling around
[   ] Studying abroad
[   ] Working in environmental-connected field
[   ] Donating
[   ] Supplying my family's needs
[   ] Getting rere to higher education
[   ] Listen to live orchestra again

Architecture
[X] Designing landscape
[   ] Having built landscape project
[   ] Getting a landscape arch education

Other random stuff
[   ] Having a coffee maker
[   ] Learning to make coffee and lattes

I'll add more as I think of stuff xD

Self Appreciation

Happy~ Happy~ Birthday!

Love you!

For everything you've been through.

For everything you've let go.

There are so much waiting for you.

Luvluv

Past the Decade

Hello, hello! Happy new year!
Been a while, hasn't it?

After everything that happened in the last year, I think I've grown a lot.
I've been to so many places and met so many people. The person who is known to be shy and socially awkward, the weird girl, that is me, had to deal and handle so many people, as a facillitator. And I could do it! I was amazed at myself.

I accepted myself, and I felt free.

I went to so many places.

Palu taught me about strength and recovery. And the light of kindness in the face of suffering. And how important hope is.

Lombok taught me the importance of bonds and cultures. Families and nature, and how it all work together. Of acceptance and living on, no matter how hard it might be.

Bangkok and Penang taught me of going to the roots and working together, and how you are never alone. You always have someone, no matter how far they are, your spirit sisters and brothers. People willing to tell you what you need and what you've been missing.

Semarang was good people and nice meals. It taught me realism and details. And the limits of my own self.

Malang taught me hard work, discipline, and disappointment. It was harsh but I learned so many things. Technical things, relations, people, and trust. On another occasion, it taught me of history, and culture, and storytelling. How to weave your space and words into something people can make out.

Surabaya taught me of curiosity and the spirit of learning, anywhere, anytime. That you never really know anything. That you never are really in control.

And lastly, Yangon taught me the strength of working together. And how everything has a way to be solved, in harmony with each other. Looking at bigger pictures. Of people and families.

I also survived a lot of heartbreaks; different ways of heartbreak.

And here I am, after going through them all, thinking, what kind of heartbreak is the worst heartbreak?

The answer is none.

Heartbreaks are awful in their own ways. Whether it's a friend, a lover, a soulmate, a caretaker. Separation of bonds, of distance, of life and death. It's all so agonizing when you realize that you will not see some people ever again. That you will never be able to be with someone. That a future you have clung into might just shatter, leaving you with nothing.

If you've survived (or are surviving) a heartbreak, I'm cheering on you! You are a very strong person. We can go through it, we can go through everything!

Now march on. The world is full of warm smiles. Share your love to the world, and the world with return to you uncountable kindness.

Go on!

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