I couldn't sleep at night. A small room with a double bed that was supposed to accommodate three people. The walls were stained and dirty, and the only things in the room were the bed and two pillows. I gave the pillows to Faqi and the other person, so I ended up using my bag as a pillow. It even had my laptop in it, so it was really hard and the sleeping comfort was terrible.
There was no doubt I didn't feel like I was really sleeping; it was a very shallow sleep. There were no blankets or comforters, but the air conditioner was blasting, so I woke up partway through and put on a raincoat to sleep.
But I was wearing shorts, so my legs were freezing and I eventually couldn't sleep. The space was so cramped I couldn't even turn over, so I thought how extreme local conditions can be, and at the same time I felt grateful for having such an amazing experience.
Muslim mornings are early
At 4:30 Faqi's phone rang and a recitation-like sound of the Quran came through, and I woke up. Faqi then went to the toilet and after that performed his prayers.
I realized Muslim mornings are really that early. I seem to recall the first prayer time is around 5:30. That alone is amazing — everyone performs their prayers properly and it felt very sacred; I felt a sense of respect.
We had actually planned to go outside around 5:30 to see the sunrise, but I was too sleepy and ended up sleeping until about 7:20.
My Apple Watch alerted me and I woke up for the first time. Then I took a shower in what has to be the worst toilet-shower combo imaginable (not a shower per se, but pouring water from a large bucket over you with a ladle). I washed my face and wet my hair. The morning shower felt good.
Even calling it the worst might just reflect my high threshold. The water was at least clear and the toilet next to it didn't smell overwhelmingly bad. Of course it was dirty and chaotic, but this felt normal. When you travel you inevitably encounter things like this.
Group photo time
After showering I hurried to get dressed and prepare to check out. We decided we wanted to take photos together, so we all went outside and took pictures. Someone had a selfie stick-like thing and used their iPhone to take five shots.
I was impressed by how serious some Muslim people were about their photos and makeup. Truly Generation Z. Well, me too, I guess. We all happily took photos together.
I wanted group selfies, so Faqi prompted everyone and we all took pictures with my iPhone. They turned out great. Being able to take photos with the Muslim people became a really nice memory.
Above all, sharing a room with everyone — all but me were Muslim — with poor hygiene, bugs, and a dirty room, became a very good memory. We took photos of the three of us who shared the room and also took selfies.
At first I thought he was very unfriendly, but he photographed really well and smiled a lot. In other words, people reflect the attitude shown to them. If you open your heart first, the other person opens up too. I was reminded of this about human nature again and again.
Walking around the island
We checked out of the room and headed to the meeting spot. Today we were with a different group than yesterday, and the members were the same as those from our room. We took selfies together on the boat too.
We were heading to the island where we had seen yesterday's sunset. We ate breakfast on the boat: rice with coconut milk, a dish I forgot the name of but made of wood-ear mushrooms, and a spicy half egg.
It seemed like so little that I wondered if everyone would get full. I certainly didn't get full, but it was tasty.
After arriving on the island, Faqi and I had a photo session and then we walked around the island. The island was very small but full of nature and greenery. It was truly beautiful.
We found a dried-up crab shell along the way — it turned out to be a molted shell. We talked about Muslim culture, Indonesian language, and many other things; it was a very enjoyable conversation.
Being surrounded by nature made me feel happy and completely stress-free. Being in touch with nature really is important, I felt.
Entering as an Indonesian
I wanted to swim on the island, but I wasn't wearing swim trunks so I gave up for the day. We were going to another island that supposedly had baby sea turtles and medium-sized sea turtles.
Indonesians pay 150 yen but foreigners pay 1,500 yen, so I decided to go in as an Indonesian. Since I look Indonesian and people often speak to me in Indonesian, I figured it would be fine.
The tour guide was very relaxed and basically said it was fine as long as I spoke Indonesian, so in the end I went in as an Indonesian. That laid-back vibe was great — thanks to Faqi's communication skills.
We walked toward the place. At first we walked along a mangrove path with swings and beautiful views, so we took photos. But it was a dead end and we wondered where the sea turtles were.
When we retraced our steps, we found another route. We arrived at the turtle spot, but it was nothing like I imagined. I had thought we might see turtles coming ashore to lay eggs.
But instead it was just a large tank-like enclosure you could look into from above. For such a small setup, 1,500 yen was too expensive. You could see more in no time at the Churaumi Aquarium — that was the scale.
The special feeling of the hijab and marriage
After seeing the turtles we ate ice cream and relaxed. The ice cream was 50 yen, so Faqi bought one for me and had one himself.
Local Indonesian ice cream had a somehow delicate, fresh taste rather than just being delicious. We sat and stared at the sea. I wanted to know about Muslim practices, so I asked whether Muslim women take off their hijab in front of men after marriage and talked about things like that.
I learned that they don't never show their hair to any man for life; rather, they show it only to their husband and will take off the hijab in front of their husband. That was what made it feel special.
Having parts of yourself that you show only to your spouse makes both men and women feel that the other is special. I was told that in Islam, when you marry your souls become one. I found that interesting.
Boat back to the mainland
When the time came we walked back to the boat. We returned to the island where we had stayed. The tour guide gave us tickets to return to Jakarta mainland today.
Before that, we wanted to buy a little something to eat, so Faqi and I wandered the food stalls. There were mini martabak and various fried items, so we bought some of those.
Three martabaks were 100 yen, so we bought those and bottled water, and also a fried egg snack. Local Indonesian food is full of fried items using oil and desserts with sugar, so it's very high in calories. Indonesia really uses too much oil and sugar, I thought. Still, I tried to engrave this last experience in my heart.
We boarded the boat. This time I wanted to sleep so I chose the first floor with seats. It was very comfortable. I had many interesting conversations with Faqi there. Before the boat departed all the seats filled up and someone asked to sit next to me, so two people sat and my seat area became packed.
But since I was at the aisle I could stretch my legs to the fullest and sleep, which was good. I was determined to sit in this seat, so I told them firmly they could sit but they'd have to move to the back, that kind of forceful approach.
But then I wondered if I was unconsciously putting up walls and felt a bit ashamed — I realized I still have a long way to go. I'm not as open and generous as Faqi.
He really seems broad-minded and prioritizes others. I thought he must accumulate stress, but he enjoys it and by being cheerful and generous he prevents others from feeling bad.
That seems to be what he likes. In short, his cooperativeness is really high.
Looking at the sky on the deck
The boat departed and headed for the mainland. The trip was three hours; I slept the first hour but couldn't sleep after that.
Curious about the outside scenery, I went out and found it very open and the sky was gorgeous. I felt the deck was the best place on the boat — completely different from the dim passenger area.
I applied sunscreen to my face and neck and then lay down on the deck. The sky was very blue and the Earth felt huge. I felt again that possibilities are endless. There are many people on this planet and you'll surely find people who match you.
Of course that's only if you act. And if you keep your heart open. I think this is very important.
Encounters that seem shallow at first are interesting
While I was lying on the deck another Indonesian came over, and honestly I didn't want my alone time disturbed. Normally I'd greet the person and start talking, say "Hi! How are you?" and become friends.
Is that not my true self? Instead, when another person came I treated them like an intruder entering my territory and retreated into my shell. I felt ashamed and wondered why I reacted like that.
Meeting many people teaches you to recognize at a glance the kinds of people you want to be friends with — from what they carry, their fashion, their appearance and vibe you get sensors that say "I want to be friends with this person" or "this person isn't for me." I realized that's why I behaved that way.
I told myself that was no good and I want to change. If I want to connect with many people and attract others, I shouldn't judge by appearances.
Of course not everyone can be in your inner circle, so why not just be friends with people normally? Why do I refuse that?
Maybe it's because I only consider accepting someone as a friend if they can be a deep friend, someone who fits into my inner circle.
But it's important to have a broader heart and accept that someone doesn't have to enter the circle — being a bit distant, a friend outside the core, is fine.
You never know when friendships will change; you can suddenly become close, and someone you thought you'd never see again might become one of your closest friends — like Faqi in this case.
He and I happened to click at HCMC airport, kept in touch for a year, and finally met in Jakarta to realize this plan to go to Pulau Seribu together.
So unexpected encounters like that are the interesting ones.
Encounters that seem trivial at first can be interesting and sometimes are meaningful connections. Conversely, people you expect to become close sometimes end up as a shallow relationship.
That's why life is interesting. People open their hearts when someone shows interest in them, and everyone loves someone who boosts their self-esteem.
So I felt it's important to keep that kind of antenna up.
Because my father wasn't around
I sat on the deck and enjoyed the view while looking at the sky. The scenery was truly the best. The sun was so strong it could burn even someone like me who loves the sun. I wore sunscreen but accepted getting sunburned while spending time on the deck.
About an hour later Faqi came to the deck and was taking many photos. He turned around, noticed me, and I asked him to take pictures of me; he took a lot. I also took many photos of him.
I feel that with generous, broad-hearted people like Faqi I end up comfortably relying on them. There's a reason for this: I probably grew up without a father, so I couldn't rely on a father figure.
So maybe my tendency to cling is directed toward people who have that generous, fatherly heart.
I behave selfishly at times, asking for many photos like a child, but that's all me.
Normally I'm not that selfish, but when I find someone who makes me feel secure I act that way. I think it's because I couldn't cling to my father in childhood and I'm making up for that now.
Return to Jakarta mainland
We took many photos of each other. We arrived at Jakarta mainland and safely disembarked from the boat. It took over three hours and I was very tired, but it was fun. The trip felt short.
We walked back to where Faqi had parked his bike. Maybe because it was the port, the smell was intense and it felt like a slum. The roads were muddy and everything was really filthy — I realized some people live in places like this.
It made me feel a lot. Compared to those people, I'm lucky to be able to travel with people I care about and to be independent enough to travel alone. How fortunate I am, I thought.
Some people spend their whole lives in places like this and others can't live in prosperous areas even if they want to. Life is largely determined by where you're born — that's what this made me feel. I felt again that being born Japanese is a treasure and a miracle.
Faqi's bike had run out of gas, so we went to a gas station. I bought Pocari and almond milk at a convenience store and gave the Pocari to Faqi.
He in some ways doesn't fit the stereotypical Indonesian personality; he's unlike local Indonesians in many ways.
He's frank but very polite, considerate, and thoughtful — he reminded me a lot of Japanese people. That made spending time with him very comfortable.
Picking up my backpack at the hotel
We rode the bike back to the hotel. I had left a 23 kg backpack at the hotel the day before, so I went to pick it up.
The route to the hotel was pretty complicated, and Faqi arrived with help from local Indonesians. We passed through a very narrow Chinatown and a seafood market — I wondered how we could get through those places. But we arrived safely, and I was full of gratitude toward him for going that far for me.
Faqi is a pleasant person so the Indonesians were also very friendly. I think his actions, smile, and the way he speaks make others respond to him in the same way. I realized people who attract others are like that.
We returned to the hotel and collected the backpack. We took a breather at a table in the nearby lobby. We gave each other a knuckle touch and said "good job!" Looking back the trip passed in a flash, but it felt like we had spent a week together. I wondered if it felt that pleasant. I was really happy and had fun creating unforgettable memories together.
I repacked my luggage and integrated it with the bag I had taken to the island, making it 23 kg again. The hotel porter carried it for us. He was very friendly and said he climbed mountains, so "this isn't heavy, it's fine!"
But he was sweating on his forehead so it was obvious it wasn't easy (laugh). Being with Faqi really attracts good people around you. It felt like a magnet — good vibe, good life. It was exactly that.
Sushi at the shopping mall
We drove about 10 km and arrived at a shopping mall. I said I wanted to buy Batik, so Faqi guided me.
There was nowhere to park the bike, so we ended up circling twice. If he didn't know, he'd ask — he asked several security guards where motorcycle parking was until we finally found it. I really like that about him.
I'm the type to ask quickly if I don't know either, so as expected, as fellow ENTJs, we were similar in that way.
First we went to a sushi restaurant. We were both exhausted and Faqi was hungry too. The sushi place was authentic and on the pricier side. It was much more expensive than in Japan.
Even though it was 4 p.m., the place was full and many people were eating. We wrote our names and waited. Faqi asked if it was okay to leave my backpack and they said yes.
Indonesians don't worry much about rules; leaving it there wasn't a problem. In Japan there are strict rules and it's unclear when you'd come back for it, and you'd have to take responsibility for others' belongings, so things wouldn't be so flexible. I really liked that aspect of Indonesia.
Faqi ordered curry rice and fried salmon skin. I ordered a bowl of karaage on rice and a salmon cheese fried roll. We both had cold green tea.
While waiting, we looked through photos and talked about Islam, Japanese culture, and love life — talk about everything. My curiosity makes me want to ask everything. This felt like my real self.
Being with him allowed my true self to show. So it was very comfortable and the best time.
Finally the sushi arrived and we shared and ate. It was very delicious. We talked a lot but I don't remember what — we were tired.
The bill was about 3,600 yen. Faqi saw it and said it was expensive so we should split it, but I really wanted to treat him since he always buys me things.
So I insisted on paying to show my gratitude. He felt very apologetic but it was cute (laugh).
Physical and chemical sunscreens
After leaving the sushi restaurant we went to the prayer room — it was prayer time. It was my first time. I was a bit intimidated by the sacredness of the prayer room, but it wasn't as intimidating as I thought.
I waited on a chair while he prayed. It was a very good experience. After that we went to a nearby pharmacy to buy sunscreen.
I was surprised to learn there are physical and chemical types of sunscreen. Chemical sunscreens absorb UV and convert it to something else and then release it; you apparently need to wait about 20 minutes after applying.
Physical sunscreen reflects UV like a mirror. But it rubs off easily with sweat and gives a feel of having something on your face. I had no idea, so it was really educational.
Faqi patiently asked the clerk about my concerns and sometimes spoke to me in English, and then he switched to English when talking to the clerk — it was hilarious.
We successfully bought a physical-type sunscreen. I think I got sunburned on the boat because I used a chemical type and went outside soon after applying.
Finally buying Batik
We walked to another area. Finally, the place to buy Batik! It was inside another mall. The entire mall was full of Batik and there were so many varieties. Garuda is considered a symbol of Indonesia and looked really cool. We found a store.
The craftsmanship and materials were elaborate and completely different from the ordinary stuff. It was very beautiful and I liked the design. But unfortunately they didn't have my size. The clerk called other shops to ask, but M size was sold out.
We looked around elsewhere. Many stores were closing, maybe because it was near closing time, but we found a Batik shop with a design I liked and they had an M size!
So I decided to buy it. The clerk was very nice and said they wanted to visit Japan someday. I wanted to exchange Instagram handles but couldn't say it. He asked if I did YouTube, but I haven't posted anything yet.
That question came up several times this trip, so I thought I really should start posting. I was glad to be able to buy a design I liked.
A Batik gift from Faqi
We went back to the place that didn't have my size to look for another design. I still liked one of the designs, so I asked again and tried on an L size to see.
But it was too loose. I tried on the Garuda patterned Batik and it fit perfectly — it was an M. I asked Faqi which of the three he thought was best. He said, "Can I buy it for you?" and offered to buy the Batik as a souvenir.
I felt bad but was more than happy. It would become a treasure. I accepted his offer and had him buy something I'd never forget. It cost about 2,500 yen, which is pretty expensive, but he bought it for me.
I was truly happy. We took photos together and finished shopping. I was glad to buy two Batiks. Shopping is fun — especially with someone you get along with.
Exchanging messages
We had to pray again, so we went to the prayer room. Passing security, the guard I had earlier asked "Where is Batik sold?" and Faqi told him, "We were able to buy it safely."
Everyone was so friendly; I admired how wonderful the people were.
After praying, we sat at a table near a supermarket and wrote messages to each other. I wrote on a card and he wrote in my notebook. We shook hands and talked about how fun it had been, that when he comes to Japan next time I'll invite him to my home, and that it'd be great if we could meet again next year.
After writing our messages, we headed to the entrance and I called a taxi. There was a toll on the route, so Faqi told the taxi driver about it.
I was headed to a hotel near Soekarno–Hatta Airport.
The meeting heatstroke brought me
In the end we hugged and said goodbye. It was a truly fun and perfect moment.
That wonderful encounter happened because I got heatstroke that day. Unexpected encounters color life. That's why life is interesting — you never know what will happen.
After arriving at the hotel I checked in and prepared for tomorrow. And that was the end of the day.
