Hello. Hallo. もしもし。
First post. New city. Same brain doing cartwheels.
I’m not originally from Surabaya, but I spent a chunk of my life there.
Enough to map it by cafés and memories. Now I’ve moved to Bali for Udayana University (English Literature), because I collect metaphors the way other people collect loyalty points.
New city, new operating system
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| SURABAYA!!!!!! |
Surabaya taught me speed and malls.
Meanwhile bali...
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| Tanah Lot, Bali |
Bali
"Bali is a province of Indonesia. The province covers a few small neighbouring islands as well as the isle of Bali. The main island is located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east. It is one of the country's 34 provinces with the provincial capital at Denpasar towards the south of the island.
With a population recorded as 3,891,428 in the 2010 census, and currently 4.22 million, the island is home to most of Indonesia's Hindu minority. In the 2000 census about 92.29% of Bali's population adhered to Balinese Hinduism while most of the remainder follow Islam. It is also the largest tourist destination in the country and is renowned for its highly developed arts, including traditional and modern dance, sculpture, painting, leather, metalworking, and music. A tourist haven for decades, Bali has seen a further surge in tourist numbers in recent years."
Well thank you wikipedia, you're so kind and awesome
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| yes you are awesome wiki you are! |
Bali speaks in ceremonies, sea-salt air, and scooters that rewrite your circadian rhythm. I’m learning the island the way I learn people: by getting lost near them first.
Things I tell myself to stop spiraling
- You didn’t abandon a home; you added one.
- Your voice can be shy and still be true.
- If all else fails, find helmet + iced coffee.
On tourists (and my courage settings)
I love watching travelers: sunburned, euphoric, arguing with Maps like it’s a deity. I want to say hi and then my brain throws a fire drill. So I practice: one smile, one sentence, no apologizing for existing in the same sunlight.
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Tiny truths that feel big
- Essays? Easy. Picking a laundry place? Boss fight.
- The ocean is louder than homesickness if you stand close enough.
- “New city” is code for “new version of you.”
If you spot a girl staring at the horizon like it owes her context, that’s me. Say hello. I’ll freeze for a second, then overcompensate with three jokes and an iced-latte rec.
Nice to meet you, human.
ikkel - (Surabaya-adjacent alumnus, Bali work-in-progress)
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