On Surprises

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It was a sunny day in Osaka when my sister and I visited this restaurant. A small Okonomiyaki restaurant in a narrow alley. We don’t even remember the direction or even the  name of the place. We found the restaurant address in a free travel guide book that we got at our hostel. The neighborhood was quite and we were the only customer. The owner was a family consists of three and they didn’t speak any English. Thankfully the menu was also written in English. Each table is equipped with a small teppan (metal griddle). The owner cooked the sobayaki in our table and delivered the okonomiyaki in a plate.

It was a special moment for us since the family treated us really nice even if we communicated in the most absurd way. We love the warm welcome and the good food. I think the beauty in travelling is always about the surprises. You never know when you will find a special moment to treasure.

Maybe Tomorrow

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I might have a chance to remember you again tonight. It’s raining outside, and there’s a possibility of a heavy storm at weather forecast earlier this morning.

I might have a chance to remember you again tonight. Because I’m staring at these windows, with a cup of hot coffee. I’m sure it was hot earlier. I just forget how many minutes I’ve spent staring at darkness and get a glimpse of you. Twice? Five? Nine?

I might have a chance to remember you again tonight. Because I started to tune to this radio, a late night program called Heartbreak Radio and they play all of our memory songs. I’m not really sure whether my memory starts to play a game on me. I think whichever songs they play, it will make me remember you more.

Fragment after fragment of you. Spinning and moving in different direction. Calming and heartbreaking. Warming and chilling. As the rain gets heavier, I sit down hours after hours. Until the last drop of coffee and it doesn’t change anything about your memory.

I might have a chance to remember you again tonight. Or should I said, I do? Well, let’s just say I do remember you again tonight. This exact hour is the darkest it can be, of my thoughts of you. And I wonder if tomorrow I will have the same thoughts again. And how many nights that thoughts will visit me.

I’m running out of coffee. I’m running out of time. It doesn’t hurt as much anymore. Well, maybe tomorrow the rain will wash your fragments and it won’t matter what song they’ll play, my memory will last of this heavy rain.

Shinsekai District – Osaka

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Did I tell you where the best place in Osaka is?

The Shinsekai District is nothing but vibrant, noisy, and colorful places.

Whether you visit it on day or night, it’s still full of good food and warm people.

With strange looking and beautiful billboard and posters.

…and narrow colorful alley.


Along with various dishes, from shaved ice to deep fried foods.

Sunday, Sunday

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I recently struggle to find a decent platform to buy songs after Nokia Music shut down. Sure there is Itunes, Amazon Music, and Spotify but here in Indonesia other than Itunes, I don’t find anything to be working. Then, there happen to be Langit Musik and Melon :)) Melon actually offers huge variety of music library, but the interface and all web/mobile experience feels awful. It’s confusing and frustrating to buy songs. The most disappointing thing is the download link seems not working, even if I already bought the songs :(

But anyway, I managed to make this playlist after awhile. The playlist contains some new bands I recently followed and some recent hit songs that I find catchy.

Sunday, Sunday

1. The Vaccines – Handsome
2. Alt-J – Left Hand Free
3. Catfish and the Bottlemen – Hourglass
4. Circa Waves – Stuck In My Teeth
5. Hozier – Someone New
6. The 1975 – Girls
7. The Kooks – Bad Habit
8. Betty Who – Somebody Loves You
9. Walk The Moon – Shut Up and Dance
10. The Neighbourhood – Sweater Weather
11. Circa Waves – T-Shirt Weather
12. Paramore – Anklebiters
13. Lower Than Atlantis – Words Don’t Come So Easily
14. Stereophonics – C’est La Vie
15. The Vaccines – Norgaard

If you happen on Spotify, hear it here.

Indonesian Tourist’s Foolproof Guide to Singapore

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For quite a while, Singapore has been the ‘it’ destination for Indonesian tourist. Not only that the ticket is sometimes cheaper than other domestic destination :( it is also the only place in Southeast Asia that your favorite band/artist might visit. For the more fortunate, Singapore has been the shopping heaven. Though the tag price there is more expensive compared to Malaysia, Singapore offers more diverse and luxurious brand. In terms of transportation and attraction place, I think Singapore is one the best country to visit.

Sometimes, I think Indonesian people have love-hate relationship with Singapore. They might like the city but they don’t like the fast moving people. They might like the attraction but they dislike the concrete scenery. For me personally, I love going to Singapore. My sister has lived quite a while there and I’ve been visited her a lot. I love the museum, the food, the transportation, the air, and the environment. I think the last time I visited Singapore was on 2014 and I’ve been missed it ever since.

Though my choice might not feel touristy or hipster enough, here are my personal favorite recommendation for place to visit and eating out :P

eat-in-singapore

(image from here, here, here, and here)

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