Diving in Bali

Just got our diving CD from my friend. The only part in this picture to indicate that this was me is my freakishly stubby and same-length left hand fingers (the right one in the picture). The video was rather stupid and silly, with Hawainese backsong. But I'm sure as time goes, this too will be a precious memoir of our Bali Trip.

--

Diving was traumatic. The scary part is when you have to shift your usual nose-breathing to breathe only and only with your mouth. When we first get into the warm water, I freaked out because I could no longer use my nose to breathe. It was quite a scary transition, but slowly, you kinda get used to it. Although at times, you forget to inhale with your mouth and ended up panicking in the middle of the ocean.

I dont know if all diving is like this. But I was quite dissapointed because all we did was hung on to a coral reef to feed breadcrumbs to fishes. Ordinary fishes who ate and ran. Bastards. We didnt get the chance to touch them, like what's advertised. Moreover, the current was pretty strong, and the temperature was extremely cold. I ended up trembling from the cold, being pushed by the current, helplessly attempting to use 1 hand to grip the reef and another 1 to spread the stupid breadcrumbs. From this, I ended up harming my knees. I came up with scratches all over it.

Overall, I dont think I will be doing this activity anytime soon. Especially when the diving I had in mind is moving your flippers harmoniously in warm clear turqoise water with colorful fishes without any traces of breadcrumbs.

Bandung!

We went to Bandung yesterday. It was a refreshing trip, away from the hot humid hell Jakarta to cooler, greener and smaller Bandung. The shopping, contrary to what people say, isnt that great. The most rewarding part of the trip is actually when we finished eating at Kampong Daun and sat there in our little hut, showered by the rain, and chatted.

On the way up, we passed a couple of farmers working on the fields. I wonder, what goes inside their minds?

Tonight, attended Stefany's farewell dinner. She's leaving for US this Saturday. For the first time in 2 weeks, almost 1/2 of our year gathered on the same table. Everyone was laughing and teasing and fighting over sushi. It was like a reunion. A reunion after 2 weeks of not seeing each other.

We had fun.

I'm missing highschool. Everything seems so fast, unprecedented.

Status Quo

Days passed. It has been pretty hectic, to travel from one place to another, a full schedule that requires the best of organizing to make it all possible. People are leaving very soon, too soon. Some of them even have less that 14 days here, before they go on a plane and leave to pursue their futures.

Like Michelle said, this is the end.

In some rare occassions of which I get to be alone, I took a second to think. To think of the things that happened to me recently, things that quite frankly have become a turning point in my life. Things that arent always pleasant, sometimes simply painful, but I am grateful to be able to experience.

It's funny how 1 thing led to the realization of another. How you get to think differently after an event. How you feel that everyone and everything around you is trying to send the same message, one after another, to remind you.

I dont think I have to write of what exactly happened in Bali that started all these. What happened, will stay among myself and some others who knew. But I sincerely thank Gerry who took the time to sit with me and unscramble things eventhough I'm down with a heavy flu in the middle of the night in Bali.

I guess highschool does matters.

What I have come to realize is that eventhough you knew of what you should be, you are still at times so vulnerable to distractions that pulls you back to who you were.

Eventhough you thought that you are balanced, when you got your problems all solved, you still have some issues to be solved with yourself. And that, noone can help.

When I thought that I got it all sort out, when finally I thought to have found my balance, things came up. Things that are almost similar with the ones that came up before, things that I once mishandled. And for once I almost did the same mistake. Almost.

And now I fear that soon I shall lose my balance, to crash and break into what I used to be.

Everyone is afraid of changes, to move from their status quo. But yet when one do changes, the only thing that she fears is to go back to the status quo.

IPEKA Award Night 2007

Prom was memorable, fun, an event by us to us filled with laughter and tears.

And for us the committee, prom was filled with sweat, blood and tears invested in the preparation.

After we saw how the event turned out, and how it made all of us feel, all the hard work was nothing.

It was all worth it.

For a night together in good company.

Bali in Pictures

Bali Was Phenomenal

After a glorious 5 days, 4 nights farewell vacation to Bali, being back home is utterly dissapointing. Bali was so simple. You are taken care of by the tourguides. You get morning calls, you get food around the clock, you get supplied with basic medicines and all your needs in Bali is catered kindly.

I kinda miss the Balinese smell, the flowery smell you have going on around everywhere. Or the salty and warm smell you get whenever you're near a beach. Bali was so colorful it fells dull when you go home.

I got sunburnt. Became darker. Got skinnier. Fell down on a severe fever. Got a hangover. Was stung by a jellyfish(es?) when diving. Bruished my knee. Caught a wave.

But still, Bali was awesome.

It's the place where you can stay under the sun for a long time without feeling guilty, and got burnt eventhough you applied a spf 50 sunblock on your skin. It's where you can easily get out from the hotel at dawn with a girlfriend and a guy (who happens to be the tourleader) to call a cab and went down for a couple of drinks. It's where everyone is smiling at you and you can smile back freely. It's where its OK for you to be who you are, regardless.

It's where you pretended not to be able to speak Indonesian when a stranger, shameless old fat prick asked you for a dance. It's where beautiful she-male whores asked where youre from. It's where its fine for you to be tipsy after a shot of tequila and a glass of cocktail. It's where you go to Mbargo with your friends, and flee to Bounty next door for a quick look.

It's where you can laugh at and with each other unburdened, because hell, highschool is over.

And now you're back home again. You finally realized the date after 5 days without time and date contraints. It's November 12th, 2007. Everything seems so final. In 4 days time we'll be having our graduation and prom night at once. That is, our final night together.

Right after farewell, the time when you finally talked and laughed with and get to know some of the people that you spent highschool with but never actually talked. Ironic isnt it, to be able to know how great someone is at the end.

Above all, Bali was an experience that provided an extensive soul searching. To acknowledge your wrongs and to make amends eventhough it is too late.

To stand by yourself in the water, eyes closed, ears focused on the sound of the waves, nose breathing in, out, slowly inhaling and exhaling the warm salty smell around you. And let the waves touch your thighs mildly, and even roughly at times. Then you open your eyes, and you see the equator, so glorious, untouched, unknown and free. At times like this, you are fortunate enough to get a glimpse of your future: unwritten.

To sit on a bench with a friend and talked. Talked without hiding anything. Talked without fearing of being judged. Talked and listened, cried on their shoulder with relief and grief of finally getting it out of your system. To realize that you are not alone, regardless.

We made a promise. Someday, I dont know when, 3, 5, or even 10 years later, when we are older and hopefully wiser, that we will get together once more in the island of the Gods sitting and reminiscing of these days to come.

And Life is Sweet Again

TODAY, MY HSC EXAMINATION IS OFFICIALLY OVER. OVER. OVER!

All I can say is, finally. After endless nights of procastinating and insomniac behaviour, my final examination is finally over. Done. Deal. All I have to do now is get this nagging curiousity of how I did for English and Economics until the marks are published later in December.

Shit December is a long wait indeed.

Seconds after we got out of the exam hall, life is sweet again. Everything seems so... Loose. Unburdened. Carefree. Its like seeing the world with much more color after weeks spent lurking at black and white texts for the exams.

Im leaving on a jetplane early in the morning tomorrow. For Bali. Bali. Bali. Bali. Bali. A 4 days, 3 nights of adventure and relaxation, laughter and parties with the whole Year 12. Oh God I cant wait.

After that? Go back home, take year pictures to be posted during the graduation ceremony. Then find prom dress. Then graduation ceremony itself. Later that same night, Prom.

Life is sweet. Life is sweet again indeed. It's even sweeter after the exams.

Cant wait for tomorrrrrwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.