Where Life Taking Me
Tuesday 26 April 2022
Under the Blanket Dreaming
Monday 25 April 2022
Fed my inner child cactus fruit for the first time
I desired to be younger and bolder on that particular day, so I dared myself to try eating cactus fruit. I went to an isolated beach with a few of friends; I forget its name, but standing on that beach, you can see Rote Island; you could definitely try to swim there, but the waves would crush you, so I wouldn't recommend it. Many cactuses were growing tall, large, and fruitful along the shore. Why don't I try eating the fruits? I reasoned. It's supposed to taste like dragon fruit. I asked my friend if people could eat it, and he answered absolutely because he had already done so. So, I braved myself and approached one of the closest cactus trees, picking its fruit without understanding it had prickles; I think I was simply too excited. Then, my friend volunteered to clean the fruit for me, or I forced him to do it I don't remember ehehehe. Anyway, I eventually had a taste of the cactus fruit, and I wasn't disappointed. It has a similar flavor to dragon fruit, after all, they are related, but it has a larger seed and less flesh because it is smaller. However, the next time I'm trapped in the midst of a jungle, I'll know to feed myself cactus fruits since they're nutritious and healthful, according to Google.
Saturday 22 January 2022
have i forgotten how to have fun
I was walking home with some friends one night in 2010. I don't recall what we talked about, but I remember how happy I felt just being with them. We'd walk for about 3-5 kilometers before stopping at a food stall to get some snacks. Then we kept walking and stopped in front of an office building to eat the snacks together and carry on with our conversation about random stuff, and most of the time we ended up laughing out loud; I wish I could remember what we were laughing about, but my memory isn't that great. Time would fly by, and we'd all realize we needed to get back home as soon as possible because it was getting late. Every time I got close to my house, I wished I lived even further away so I could spend more time with them. Those were the most joyful times for me back then.
Adulthood has slapped me hard on my face. I can't afford to be reckless any longer. I have bills to pay, appointments to attend, deadlines to meet, and my physical and mental health to consider, all of which is exhausting. This is not acceptable. Why can't I find joy in small matters any longer? I used to laugh so easily and constantly. I always said yes to spontaneous trips and not feared a thing. My former self will despise the present me. Perhaps my ways of having fun have shifted, or perhaps I should return to the old things I used to find enjoyable. I liked reading manga (Japanese comic books) like Detective Conan, Doraemon, Crayon Shinchan, and so on. I enjoyed collecting cute things, taking random pictures of things or people, making videos, writing short stories, karaoke, climbing trees, catching small fish, running in the rain, playing outside in the sun, swimming, daydreaming, watching horror movies, reading novels, playing board games, being silly, dancing, going on a hike, traveling, having random conversations with good friends, eating snacks by the side of the road, and I can't think of anything else.
It's fine; I still know how to have fun. I can still laugh a lot. Just don't get too worked up about it. I'm going to be fine.
Hanging out at local park late at night |
Thursday 13 January 2022
never too late to start a new family's tradition
First family portrait back in 2019 |
Not really happy with the background but still we had fun (2020) |
We may or may not look like minions hehe (2021) |
Tuesday 11 January 2022
To Be Celebrated
I was just at a friend's house for her birthday celebrations a few hours ago. It was actually just a basic get-together. It's something she's done every year. Her mother would make enough food to feed a large group even if she didn't invite anyone. She would then simply wait for her buddies to arrive one by one. After me, a couple of buddies arrived with cake and candles but no lighter. They later handed her the cake and instructed her to light and blow the candles herself. It was pretty funny that we didn't even sing happy birthday. We joked that they should've just sent her the money and she'd purchase the cake herself, or sent her the supplies so she could bake the cake herself. A few more of her pals arrived later, and they brought another cake with candles already lighted. She had seen them when they entered, so it was no longer a surprise. They stepped in and handed her the cake, this time with the candles to blow out. I'd say it was really uncomplicated, with no drama and just a simple birthday party. Her friends were aware that it was her birthday, and they made the effort to come and celebrate with her, even if it wasn't anything extravagant like we see in movies and dramas. Nothing like a birthday celebration with balloons, a large feast, music, lovely outfits, and sparkles. However, I appreciated her friends for making the effort. They shared a lot of laughter, ate some simple but delicious cuisine, and talked for a long time about many things.
When I got home, I began to consider what it means to be celebrated. I feel like I've forgotten how it feels really. I enjoy celebrating my closest friends and making them feel special, but it is frequently one-sided. I'm not claiming no one ever did anything special for my birthday or for me, because they did. The issue is that it doesn't happen on a regular basis, and it happens so rarely that I don't expect it. I even got to the point where I chose to do things my own, to organize everything on my own, with some support, but the initiative was all mine. Meanwhile, at the same time, I'm growing exhausted. I'm going to quit putting in effort now. It's depressing. But that's just the way life and people are. Especially in this day and age, when everything is supposed to be instant. There's no need to call; just send a quick message. It will serve to send a voice message, gifs, or stickers. I, too, become lazy and drained. I've spent a lot of my time and energy celebrating others, only to find out that they didn't do the same for me. Therefore, I will be selfish too. Because I need to look after myself. They are capable of looking after themselves. I'll just settle for mediocrity.
Thank you, I felt celebrated that time (2017) |
Thank you for putting the efforts girls (2017) |
Good old time (2017) |
Monday 10 January 2022
They Grow Up Too Fast
One day, I was in Jakarta to see an old friend. He's been away from his family for a long time. It had been more than three years since I had returned home to see my family. He then stated that he wished to return home because he realized how time had passed, his parents had grown older, and his sibling had grown up. He resented the fact that he had missed seeing them grow older and more mature. That struck me as well; previously, I didn't want to return to my hometown; instead, I wanted to return to Bali from Jakarta and look for work in Bali. That conversation, however, changed my mind. I made the decision to return home, to my people, to my family.
Had fun at Paradiso beach, Kupang (ignores the trash floating) |
Awkward pose, beautiful smile though |
Hi, I am the tallest in my family |
I am cute and I know it :) |
Sunday 9 January 2022
Amateur Drawer
Even though I am not a talented artist, I would like to try my hand at it whenever I feel like it. So I discovered this AI program called AutoDraw (AutoDraw.com) that allows me to do so, to get a taste of what it's like to be an artist, to be able to express myself through my drawings, my random thoughts. So, basically, this program will give you the opportunity to draw and then fix it for you. It is fine if you can't draw a perfect circle, or if your clouds look strange, it will beautify them for you. Isn't it amazing? I gave it a shot and came up with the attached image. That's exactly how I feel right now: random. Strange and perplexing.