Tat Tvam Asi

Selong Belanak Beach, Central Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara

I really can not believe that I haven't written anything since January. Well, there are some drafts I left undone and which I haven't touched again since the last time I wrote them. What gets in the way? Life does. Got caught up taking care of documents before I ended my job at underdeveloped area in North Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara. Got to move back to my hometown for a while before moving again to Indonesia's dazzling capital city, Jakarta. And not to mention, as always, a little twist here in there. I got so caught up I forget to reflect. 

Writing has always been a medium of reflection for me. Writing my thoughts magically can make my scattered thoughts lining in a nice order thus I can consider matters in a deeper way. Today, for the very first time after what felt like forever, I feel inspired again. Done with cooking my meal for sahoor, done replying chats I should have replied weeks ago, done tidying my room, done learning things I'm supposed to learn, and about to meet one I love this end of day, I feel calm yet alive. And I feel like I want to write. 

My workplace, Primary Health Care in North Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara 

(Operating under the emergency tent after the 7 SR earthquake)

Last February was my last month working as a dentist in a primary health care in North Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara in an underdeveloped and post earthquake area. I chose to serve in an underdeveloped area because I want to know what it's like for the rest of society live outside of the sparkling metropolitan cities, I want to know what they need and their health condition and I want to serve them [will write about it in a separate post about PTT (health workers work in underdeveloped area)], but primarily it is because I got sick of life in the city full of materialism. 

I too, used to dream of continuing my education abroad on the top 10 world universities under the reason of learning what is best for my country. While actually there is a part of me that only want to study abroad for the sake of enjoying a cup of hot coffee in one corner of public park in the developed country. There, then, I realised how can I contribute to my country if I didn't even know how the majority live in our country, struggling even to get proper electricity? 

So, to North Lombok off I go. Better than my expectation, there, I did not only realise how beautiful Indonesia is, given the heavenly landscapes of hills and beaches of Lombok, but I also get to experience humanity in a closer and deeper way. Before the 7 SR earthquake in North Lombok, even if the infrastructure of the area is already developed (paved road, proper irrigation, easy access to clean water), its human resources' quality is far behind what we have in Java, Indonesia's most populated island. 

To be able to speak with elementary students during my dental health education programs, asked them about their dream, and share with them some inspiring stories, to be able to serve society from the middle low class in the primary health care, I feel like this is how we actually should have lived, by giving and treat others in a best way possible, for what we give is what we get. I feel like the more we share and give back to society, the more happiness we will get. 

My home away from home

Leaving Lombok 

Also in Lombok, I met my new families; Ibu Nengah's family who own the place I lived for my 13 months stay and my fellow doctors from different cities who work there. From Ibu I also learn a lot, about kindness, families, love, and humanity.

So when I have to move back to the city, at first I feel like I get uninspired. In Lombok I am able to enjoy the slow living, a balance work/life all because of the easy access to fresh air, open spaces, and beautiful hills and beaches unlike here in Jakarta, I worked in underdeveloped area and is easy to share my knowledge and using my expertise to help others. Tat tvam asi; I am you and you are me. In Lombok, I live so close to this belief, far from materialism. And it makes me happy. 

Survived my first day at Jakarta, commuting with public transportation

With some twist also get in the way, I forget to reflect and to be grateful. Thanks god, this month is Ramadan, a month full of reflection and duties to move us closer to God. Asking the staff of my rented room about whether or not she has food for iftar, giving food for them, although not much, actually is also a simple act of applying Tat tvam asi in each and everyday. Isn't happiness is within ourselves? No matter how hard things get and no matter where we at, when we always create positive mindfullness and giving our best attention and treat others the way we want to be treated, wouldn't life will treat us the same way too? 

🕉️ ~ Om

🕉️ ring (Yin Jewelry For The Soul), Buddha bracelet (bought at one little shop at Gili Air),

Dress (This is April), Sandals (bought at one little shop at Ubud), Sunglasses (Giordano)

🕉️ is a sacred sound and symbol both in Hinduism and Buddhism. My trip to Tibet and Nepal made me love both Hinduism's and Buddhism's core spirit and way of life more and more each day. For it only means good and brings peace to my soul. A lot of mantra begins with this symbol. And as for the meaning, it might be various. From "the infinite language, the infinite knowledge", "essence of breath, life, everything that exists", until "with which one is liberated".

But no matter which meaning we mean when reciting this mantra, it only means good. And how happy I was when I found this little jewelry shop at one corner of Gili Air, Yin Jewelry for The Soul, and accidentaly found the ring. It is funny how bringing this symbol with me makes me feel like bringing good luck whenever I go. 

Oh and when I walk along the little alley at Gili Air I also stumbled upon a little souvenir shop and found The Buddha bracelet. It is funny how I found more of this jewelry with Hinduism and Buddhism symbol which I love, here in Nusa Tenggara just when I do not look for it. Yet when I looked for it in Tibet and Nepal the last time I traveled, I found none. 

Doesn't life work like that, too? What is meant for us will be ours. It might not always comes at the time we desire, at the time we want for it, at the time we look for it. But isn't when it is at the right space and continuum, then we finally will feel its presence without having to force anything? Might as well just, recite the positive mantra while enjoying the ride, then. 

Will I ever?

Gili Air

North Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia

The room of Zipp Bar Restaurant & Bungalows 

The bathroom

The exterior and its pool

Zipp Bar Restaurant & Bungalows

Gili Air, North Lombok

Indonesia

Ph. 081917310209

Waking up at Gili Air I could not help but feeling serene and refreshed, even after the rather heavy workload I had the day before. I put my bathing suit and robe on, put on a proper amount of sun block cream, pick up my sunglasses, books, and phone (to play some music) and off I went to the beach in front of my bungalow to enjoy the warm sun and the crystal clear water. 

Speaking about the hotel I stayed the last time I went to Gili Air, I surprisingly love it. The first time I arrived, I feel a little bit confuse because the bar is on a renovation and there is a mess here and there, the bungalows is located behind the bar. Turns out, now there is this regulation from the government which ban any cafe or hotel built along the shoreline. There is minimum distance from the beach to where a cafe or hotel is allowed to be built and operated. So, a lot of places are doing renovation.

But after entered the bungalows, I find that I love the place. The bungalows is near to a beautiful beach with a white sand and crystal clear water with a sight of breathtaking green hills as the background. Scallywags beach club with its delicious meals and comfortable seating set is just two minutes by walk. Yet, somehow the bungalows is quite and secluded. (Not to mention its super helpful staff whom I love!). 

In the morning, after get enough with the sun and the beach, I swim in the pool while enjoying their coffee and french toast. When outside, the sun is burning my skin, surprisingly the ambience in its pool is comfortable with fresh air and refreshing breeze playing out with my hair. After that, taking bath in their open air bathroom is the perfect way to start just another plan of walking around Gili Air in the morning while looking for some gelato. Just, I guess they need some maintenance on their bathroom's and bedding's cleanliness so they can be super comfortable.

Anyway, it was a perfect day at Gili Air. 

So, having no one to take care of, I have plenty of time. For self improvement; I could read books all day long on my day off while waiting for the laundry to dry before ironing it, I could write for hours after done cleaning the room and done with the dish washing, I could travel to wherever I want to go,  whenever I want to, I could work all day long thus my knowledge, experience, and skill will be improved, I could take some time every few months to do volunteering in a case I care about (mostly on children education, literature, and gender parity).

These past years it is always about "I". Moreover, growing up in a family where parents giving the ultimate freedom; of thinking, of doing, of the future, I always feel I can choose the best option for me out of the choices available, another matters always might be excluded. My parents are the one who ensure me that I can fly high up as I could, I do not need to take care of them because they can take care of themselves and love living their life, enjoying their job and traveling the globe. Thus, I do not used to think about others when making a decision. When I want to work faraway from them I can just go, when I want to pursue my study in a different continent might as well doing it as I wish, when I want to impulsively go to Nepal I can just take the next plane. What a selfish individual, I understand. 

And now come the time where I might start to have to care about others. When my relationship will go to a more serious step, I have to be responsible to others, other than my parents. Here comes the condition where I might not get the amount of freedom my parents used to give me. Because I will have new (and a lot) responsibilities which I have to take care of, too.

I might have to think about the other parties before choosing where I will pursue my study; will I still  able to do my responsibility when I am away from home? Will they be okay to take care of themselves and enjoying their life while I take a little time to focus on my self, will they enjoy their lives the way my parents do? Will I ever? Will I ever be able to adjust my plan and my decision with others, when all this time I can always do things as I wish, whenever and whatever?

These things have been bothering me lately. These new concept of life. As bothered as my mind can be, I just try to think that I will try my best to do each of my responsibility, responsibly. There might be some, or a lot of inconveniences here and there but I will try to adapt to it the way I happily adapt to a new neighborhood I found in a new places I travel. The new neighborhood might be noisy and dusty just like the little alleys along Thamel, Kathmandu but when I try to see the beauty inside, of how the beautiful mess of praying flags above the Thamel road reflects the faith of each of individual hold dear inside their heart, of how the messy old book store provides the best gem of books, about life, about balance, about philosophy. There, then, I still able to feel complete, even between the mess. 

And around people with a positive mind, no matter how chaos the world might be, I wish, we will always be able to enjoy this live, though sometimes the tides might be dangerous, but there will still be time where the tides is as beautiful as the ones along Gili's shoreline on a summer day, no?

A Change is Inevitable

Nipah Beach

Malaka, North Lombok

West Nusa Tenggara

Sire Beach

Sigar Penjalin, North Lombok

West Nusa Tenggara

Through the little hidden alleys of Chinatown at the over populated downtown Kuala Lumpur, the red bricks building of old town Malaka, the lush rice field of Jalan Raya Sayan Ubud, until the crystal clear blue water of Gili Air, we never run out of words coming out from our mind to be exchanged. 

Though through times the way our mind works might change. What used to be a mere common sight might be important for us now. What used to be an important matters might be irrelevant anymore.

A change is inevitable. Through times.

But as long as the vibes vibrating positive breeze, who cares?

Happy birthday and may all of your good intention bring you back a good karma. Here was a humble journey I was able to give as a present, no birthday cake nor beautifully wrapped gift, but I hope the memory lasts. Next time, South of France? 

Staycation: Medana Resort, Tanjung, West Nusa Tenggara

The room is full of beautiful paintings and carvings

The bedroom

The relaxing and serene bathtub

The restaurant and pool

Accidentally came upon this resort and turns out that I'm in love with it. Located at a secluded area, just before Oberoi Hotel Lombok, although this resort doesn't have any private beach but I just love the serene ambience. Only 6 villas available at this 1.5 hectare land, made perfect by its private and quite large pool for only the 6 villas and a quite and cozy restaurant facing the pool.

I came here with my mother and father, and they do not like this hotel for they prefer a more modern, super clean and super bright hotel. So if you're not so into an authentique ambience with a lot of paintings and statues and wood carvings then maybe you will also not find this hotel quite satisfying. 

But I love it.

The moment I entered the room I feel calm. I love reading my book on its bed and continue reading my book while enjoying a warm water in the bathtub with the aromatheraphy candle lit up, enjoying all of my senses working while pushing my mind to think. Don't you love it?

Then, early in the morning I can have the pool all for my self. While waiting for the sun to rise higher and warm up the air. A day in this resort can restore all of my energy which has been drained during the hectic weekdays.

To sum it all, if you love Antonio Blanco Renaissance Museum, any restaurant or hotel owned by Tugu Group, and the ambience of almost all places in Ubud, I think you will love this hotel, then :)

Medana Resort Lombok

Jalan Oberoi, Sigar Penjalin,

Tanjung, North Lombok 

West Nusa Tenggara

83352

Ph. +6287864088569

Price upon booking (via Traveloka): idr 550.000 (usd 39) 

for standard one bedroom villa

ps. I will be traveling at the second and third week of April and will not bring my laptop, will not post any blog post because I want to enjoy my time to the limit while on it, so see you after my journey! Can you guess where am I going to travel? :P 

The Easy Way Out

Standing at the white sands of Tanjung Aan, Lombok Tengah, West Nusa Tenggara

Dress (Cotton On), Shoes (Bought at Ubud market), 

Sunglasses (Giordano bought at Optik Melawai)

The Beauty of Bukit Merese, Lombok Tengah, West Nusa Tenggara

I travel more these days after I moved to West Nusa Tenggara. I met some new friends and one of them reminded us to not take everything for granted, to enjoy our time here in West Nusa Tenggara, to go out and explore the world we live in no matter how busy we might feel. 

Last week we went to Lombok Tengah, Tanjung Aan and Bukit Merese to be exact. It took about 3 hours drive from my place, Lombok Utara to get there, not really far since we drove from the northest of the island right to the southest part. Moreover if you stay in Mataram or go straight to Tanjung Aan and Bukit Merese from Lombok International Airport, it only takes about one to one and a half hour.

Tanjung aan is a white sand beach with its crystal clear water and beautiful hills surrounding it. Though the water is not as clear as another beaches at Gili Islands and the sand is not as white as the white sand beaches at Gili but the green hills surrounding this beach have its own charm.

Since I went there with a lot of my friends, we spend our time together enjoying the mighty view with the warmth of conversations, but if you happen to be a solo traveler you still can enjoy this beach while laying on a soft throw and reading a book while feeling the humid breeze playing with your hair. 

After get enough with the beach, the best way to spend the golden moment of twilight is to enjoy the serenity of Bukit Merese, a hill near Tanjung Aan. We can easily climb the hill and only in a not more than 10 minutes we will stand at the top of this hill overlooking the ocean with its beautiful combination of the blue color of the ocean, the golden hue on a blue twilight sky above, and the lush green of the hills. If we lucky, we could meet a herd of goats or evenmore, cows along the hills looking for some grass to be eaten. 

We sat at one of the hill, facing the ocean while waiting for the sun to set. To be able to be present at those moment, breathing the humid air, feeling the breeze, watching the beautiful golden hue at the sky... 

I was feeling blessed. 

To be able to call this place, home, now.

I always try to believe that doing what I think is easy might not be the best option. It was easy for me to stay back home and looking for a settle job with a great salary, staying at home with all of the privileges which follow surrounded by people I am familiar with, and feeling safe most of the time. But I did not stay, I flew.

It was easy for me after I move, to only stay at my room after work, never try to make some new friends, looking for new opportunities, or learning the way the world works at my new place, speaking as how true introvert I am inside. But I did not stay at my room, I go out.

Over the easy options, I try my hardest to choose the inconvenient one. I say inconvenient because it is not a bad option, just one with more effort thus make it harder for me to choose it over the other option. Often, I question my self again and again after making one hard decision and start to lose the way in the middle, but hey, I think nobody knows where exactly they are going, too, anyway. 

So might as well, just keep going and as The French say, live with joie de vivre. 

Tanjung Aan Beach and Bukit Merese (Merese Hills)

Lombok Tengah

West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia

Staycation: Hotel Vila Ombak, Gili Trawangan

The Private Dock of Hotel Vila Ombak

The Balcony of Our Room

Interior of The Room

The Bathroom 

Dinner at The Beach (Hotel Vila Ombak Restaurant)

When my parents came along with me while I was looking around the neighborhood of my (then) future workplace, Tanjung, West Nusa Tenggara, we went to Gili Trawangan and spent our time at Hotel Vila Ombak. We booked it quite impulsively without really comparing it with another hotel like we used to. When we thought that the price is reasonable and we saw the picture of the hotel on the internet we thought it was enough.

But after experiencing it I thought it was better. The price is not so expensive yet the hotel is very comfortable and offer a great service. First thing first, I love their private dock. I think I did not see any other hotel owning this kind of private dock. There is a public harbour at Gili Trawangan but you can imagine how crowded it is for this island is the most crowded island of all the three gilis. Can you imagine how comfortable it is arriving at the dock right in front of your hotel so you do not have to carry your luggage all the way to your hotel or paying an extra fee for using rented vehicle available?

Then going to our room, we got the standard room at the second floor. Although the room is not facing the pool but the surrounding is so comfortable, with trees around and with the breeze blowing I can lay in the sun deck available at our balcony while reading my favorite book, all the time! 

There is nothing so special inside our room, but of course I love their complimentary drinks for I can drink my coffee while watching the rerun of Harry Potter on HBO before I dozed off, and not to mention they gave us free fruits also (the orange was sweet I love it!). 

The bathroom is quite spacious but there is no bathtub available for the standard room, but it was reasonable enough when looking at the price. They provide us essential oil soap and shampoo and I love the smell of it! 

Hotel Vila Ombak has an outdoor cinema and they provide free ticket for their guest while outside guest who want to watch the movie have to pay for around idr 100.000 (usd 0.7). That night they were playing The Beach, yes the one starring Leonardo Dicaprio shot at the beautiful Thailand! After enjoying my dinner (with a cool live band playing along  -which I fallen in love at first sight, and I requested a John Mayer's  Song "Slow Dancing in a Burning Room" because I thought the singer would sang it perfectly, and he did!-) I watched The Beach at the outdoor cinema, at the beach, with the constellations up above, can you imagine? It was perfect! :)

And in the next morning, after walking around Gili early in the morning and while waiting for our check out time, it was cloudy so I can enjoy their swimming pool like my own pool because nobody was swimming haha. I love their pool it is so big and comfortable, too bad I didn't take any photo of it, maybe next time I can upload some video (wish me luck for the video editing haha!) Anyway they also provide sun deck on the beach along their hotel so we can just lay there and watch the beautiful sea and the green hills of Lombok Island across the sea. 

So overall I give 5 out of 5 stars for this Hotel Vila Ombak, definitely will come back someday when I have the chance, I hope it soon!

Hotel Vila Ombak

Gili Trawangan, Lombok

West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia

Price upon booking: idr 1.100.000 (usd 88) for Superior Lumbung Terrace Room

Phone +62 370 6142336

Moving to West Nusa Tenggara, Unexpectedly

On a Fast Boat on My Way to Gili Trawangan, North Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara

Along The Shoreline of Gili Trawangan

What Do You Think About The Crystal Clear Water?

Dress (Minimal), Sunglasses (Giordano bought at Optik Melawai), Watch (Fossil)

Above all are the beauty of moving to North Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. I have planned my life the way I wanted it to be. Dreaming and then working my best to ensure that my dreams will becoma a reality. 

When I was a child my dream was simple, I only thought about my self, only thought about the best and most convenient way of life, for my self. I wanted to go to college and then continue my education abroad in a developed country, USA or UK. I can imagine my self walking down the central park on a snowy winter day while enjoying the christmas festivities during my winter break or also I can imagine my self sitting at a small cafe on London's alley after my hectic exam days. Doing it all behind the so called precious reason that I study abroad so that I can build my country after learning at the best school available. 

But my dreams are developing as I travel more, my mind is expanding its muscle, I think in a broader point of view. How can I think about the way to develop my country if I only understand about the way people live in the big city. I only understand about education, health and economic development in a developed city. I do not really understand how people in a more under developed area live because I only visited another city when I am on a holiday.

So then I chose that I have to at least try to live and try to understand how do the majority of Indonesian live. I am a dentist then why the hell I do not also abuse my skill to try to help others around me? So then come my plan, I will sign up for a program for medical doctor and dentist to work at under developed area, maybe half or a year later. But the universe had another plan for me, in a very short time there suddenly come the opportunity, and I just grab it. So long story short, I only had not more than three weeks for the whole moving process. 

I was assigned to work at a primary health care at North Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara. Here you can barely find cafes, malls, convenience stores or anything people usually include as the sign of a developed economy of a city. North Lombok has a very beautiful nature and rich of its resources also, I can see green hills here and there and it is an easy access when I want to enjoy its crysteal clear sea. A spa session or swimming at infinity pool? It always is an easy access to the resort available. 

But, behind all this? The locals, Indonesian living in Lombok is not the owner of these resorts. They are its employees. Most of them do not hold the power to make the most of their land, I do not know exactly the real reason behind this of course, I just barely came. 

I just barely came here, but within a week, when I was giving education to elementary students of North Lombok about the way to manage hygiene along their menstrual period, a program from Plan International and Dinas Kesehatan Kabupaten Lombok Utara (North Lombok Health Bureau) I suddenly felt sad, I have a short talk with Plan International's Official and they said that the rate of girl students drop out and child marriage in North Lombok is so high. This girls often do not realize that to be a mother they have to be able to do the best to raise and educate their child. They do not understand that for a marriage to work out best they need education. Why don't they realize? Because societies around them and the culture around them never show that, so how can they be inspired? They rarely saw their mom or aunties or girl friends become a well known entrepreneur, doctor, lawyer, ballerina, and tons other inspiring work. So how can they think of one? 

When I do an oral health screening at one village, I also find a woman who does not go to school at all, she barely knew her age and it is really hard to have conversation with her because she barely understand anything, can you imagine that?

So, behind the beauty of Lombok's nature, a development of health, education, and economic is still very much needed. I just wish that I will figure out a way, for my dream and also for the development of my beloved country. Meanwhile, I might just try to enjoy and learn everything the universe try to teach me, no?