I canceled all my accommodations in Kuta and headed to Sanur. There was no reason to stay in Kuta anymore.
I rode on a Grab bike, feeling the wind as we sped along. It was cool for the first time in a while.
To Sanur
Arrived at the Sanur hostel, Blind Dog Inn. The moment the bike arrived, a dog barked at us and the manager came out. Apparently they use the dog as a guard.
A lobby with a pool where you can hear birds singing. It felt peaceful and beautiful.
Today I was supposed to meet my Indonesian friend Mela. We agreed to meet at a cafe on Sanur Beach, so I headed to the sea.
Mela hadn't arrived yet, so I decided to walk along the shore.
Since it's the dry season there were hardly any waves and many boats floating. Not ideal for swimming, but the sea was beautiful.
I closed my eyes, curled up, crossed my legs, and stared at the horizon. I could hear the faint sound of waves.
Meeting Mela
I finally met Mela.
She was very nervous. Her face was strained, she gave a forced smile, and she spoke quickly. So I decided to speak very slowly.
Apparently I was the first foreigner she had met from Bumble. Until now she'd only met Indonesians, so she was very anxious about whether her English would be good enough.
That explained why she had been so nervous.
We first talked about Indonesian food: kecap manis, nasi goreng, satay. We agreed that Indonesian cuisine is the most delicious in Southeast Asia. She said she always eats nasi goreng a lot and that it's very easy to make.
She loves Japan, especially sushi. Salmon is her favorite, but she said it's very expensive to eat in Indonesia. When I told her the price of sushi in Japan she was really surprised.
She played the violin as a child. I couldn't believe she could play such a difficult instrument.
She also likes Studio Ghibli, and her favorite is Howl's Moving Castle. Most of my friends also like Howl's Moving Castle best. It's a strange kind of power, I thought.
We decided to walk along the beach together.
As we walked, dogs were everywhere. When I got too close to take a photo, one got scared and started barking.
We sat on the sand, feeling the wind and the nature around us.
She talked to me about her dreams. She wants to do something useful for people. She wants to be an entrepreneur in fashion. She wants to be a leader who can inspire and influence others.
Watching her, she seemed very responsible, behaving like a leader and not showing her inner self easily. Very supportive. I thought she would definitely be suited to being a business owner.
I asked her to write a message in the message notebook. She liked the idea and wrote it in Indonesian.
Juice spilled on the table
Today was Eid al-Adha and all of Indonesia had the day off. The night market wasn't busy, so we decided to go to a restaurant in Denpasar that she knew.
I rode on her bike as we sped off. I was the navigator for the first time in a while.
We ordered soto ayam, rice, and satay. Satay is delicious no matter how much you eat.
We also ordered an Indonesian traditional drink called Es chandol — a juice with green jelly-like pieces made from rice.
When I tried to pierce the cup with a straw and drink, the cup split and the drink spilled all over the table.
But we laughed.
She brought tissues and I got another cup.
In Japan many people might act as if it were a disaster. But in moments like this, the atmosphere of being able to just laugh it off felt really lovely.
In search of martabak
I really wanted to eat martabak. I searched by bike and couldn't find any until the third place, where I finally found a stall.
I bought a martabak with cheese, nuts, and chocolate. 260 yen.
I ordered tea at a coffee shop and ate the martabak. I was moved to finally be able to eat it and savored it. The taste I felt with my tongue and nose was truly wonderful.
I said goodbye to Mela and we agreed to meet again tomorrow night. We hugged and I went home.
