Guys,
I’m not here to say my life is awful. This year blessed me. Loudly, messily. Lots of upside-downs; I cried, laughed, and got confused simultaneously, which I think is adulthood’s official skill set.
It’s been a minute. I missed blogging.
The only place where oversharing counts as productivity.
I’m not very open. I try. Mostly I rehearse vulnerability in drafts and then hit delete like it owes me money.
blabbing
Surabaya Sprint, Bali Detour: Photoshoots, Cheap Movies, and a Delayed Flight From the Underworld
If you’re asking where I disappeared to this week: Surabaya. Saw friends, touched grass, remembered I’m an extrovert with a battery life. (lies)
Then Mrs. Lord (aka my mother) landed in Indonesia, so I had to book a Bali ticket ASAP. Prices were high, I bought the lowest fare (still expensive), and my wallet filed for compensation.
Siola Photoshoot: Lights, Panic, Action
Bali
August Snack Log (Bali Edition): Fake Snow, Real Rain, and 7 Impulse Buys I Now Have Opinions About
It’s August! I can see snow all over Bali.
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But I LIED!
It’s been raining almost every day. Temperature dipped to a chilly 28°C (Bali winter, baby). Afternoons are still a sauna, but at least the air sometimes apologizes.
The minimarket near my house turned into a rainbow snack trap. New, colorful products everywhere. They even stock green tea KitKat and matcha Pocky, so maybe I don’t need to fly to Japan (or pay shipping that feels like betrayal).
Here’s my 7-item haul and how my mouth feels about each one:
#1
Allure Green Tea Latte
Verdict: Meh.
Bottled matcha rarely hits; the flavor reads sweet + “green” instead of proper matcha depth. I’d rather use sachet powder with hot milk and pretend I’m a barista.
#2 KitKat Chunky Cookies and Cream
Verdict: Like!
Does it scream “cookies & cream”?
Not exactly.
But the texture + sweetness works, and the Chunky format is a personality.
❤❤❤❤❤❤
#3 Indomilk Pisang a.k.a Banana Milk
Verdict: LOVE.
I used to buy imported banana milk (painful prices). This is cheaper, cheerful, and nails the banana-milk vibe.
Con: Only at Indomaret and always sold out. I literally went to Jimbaran hunting it.
I have no regrets, only potassium.
❤❤❤❤❤
#4 Yen Yen Liang Teh
Verdict: No, thank you.
Too sweet and a bit… odd on my tongue. If you love sugary herbal tea, maybe. If not, save your rupiah.
#5 Indomie Bite Mie
Verdict: Nostalgia in a packet.
Tastes like childhood + MSG, which is exactly the assignment. Snacky, salty, emotionally manipulative.
#6 U.F.O Spicy Mayo
Verdict: Creative but conflicted.
Fun DIY mayo moment; flavor is fine, but my heart still belongs to Indomie.
(I’m half French, half Indonesian. bimoli à la carte. #lol)
#7 Nu Teh Tarik
Verdict: Solid crush.
Looks cute, tastes like their milk tea. Sweet, creamy, instantly comforting.
Also, what are we calling it? Nu, Nyuyu, Nuyu, Niu, Nuu, Nii? I’m conducting a useless linguistics study in my DMs.
Rain, Ceremonies, and Me
Still doing Balinese upacara I never had in Surabaya. Rain, incense, offerings. The whole island smells like a quiet poem. I complain, but I love it.
See you next week.
ikkelio ft. buta man lololol
I just had the worst day:
leveled my Pidgeot over 500 CP… then accidentally transferred it to Professor Willow.
leveled my Pidgeot over 500 CP… then accidentally transferred it to Professor Willow.
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If you’re wondering what I’ve been doing this week:
being busy.
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Busy…
Hello!
I took a short holiday in Surabaya and discovered July is the worst time if you’re weak against Ramadhan sales.
Malls said “diskon”, my wallet said “pergi aja.”
I’m trying to save for a camera (deal with Dad pending), but I know myself:
I’ll just spend it on snacks with good lighting.
Anyway—Surabaya is stacked with theme cafés and I wanted them all.
Plan A: Kudos.
Reality: crowd level = “you’ll age in this queue.”
We took one photo at the door like feral influencers and retreated.
Where We Actually Ate:
360 Vintage Kitchen (near Bandar Djakarta)
No, the building doesn’t rotate.
The “360” is just the street number.
I checked so you don’t have to.
"Thank you ikkel"
First Impressions
accidentally wearing the same pattern with Cece and I felt happy. Happiness too simple wtf
First Impressions
Parking:
Wide. Park anywhere, become CEO.
accidentally wearing the same pattern with Cece and I felt happy. Happiness too simple wtf
Crowd:
It looked quiet from outside, got hesitated.
Inside?
Staff greeted us with big smiles and I melted.
Mood fixed.
Thank you humble staff!
Prices & What We Ordered
prices as I paid, menu listed before tax & service
Fish & Chips
IDR 40.000
Taste: normal-good, crisp enough, disappears well with chit-chat.
Infused Water
IDR 20.000
We went “healthy” on drinks to fund the carbs.
Balance.
Spaghetti Bolognese
IDR 32.000
Comfort pasta; sauce leans friendly, not loud.
Total for 2: ~Rp 155.000 (before tax/service).
My calculator cried but my stomach signed.
Vibes & Playtime
Decor:
Vintage bits everywhere.
Photo traps on every wall.
My friends became art directors
(so did I, obviously).
DIY touch:
The owner said we could try a little “creation”
(arranging/ plating, don’t ask for Picasso).
We tried to make it biutipuli.
we made it documented.
Close enough.
Service
(A+)
Truly the highlight. Warm, attentive, patient.
the kind of service that makes you tiptoe back the next week just to feel nice again.
I hope they keep this energy forever.
Pros & Cons (Quick Scan)
Pros
🅿️ Huge parking area
😀 Friendly, enthusiastic staff
🖼️ Cute decor for photos
💸 Cafe-standard pricing (with budget picks)
Cons
🧾 Tax & service not included in menu prices
🍽️ Food is solid, not “write-home explosive” (the service is the star)
Bring a friend who can take 47 photos of the same latte angle. I’ll be back after my bank account and I finish couples therapy.
360 Vintage Cafe
Jl. HR Muhammad 360
Surabaya, Jawa Timur
Indonesia
Monday-Sunday : 10:00 AM - 11:00 PM
I had one week free for Ramadhan and crafted a vision board:
1. Sleep with bacon
2. Eat bacon
3. Dream of bacon
4. Hang out with bacon
5. Break up with bacon (for character development)
6. Talk to a llama (don’t ask)
Ambitious. Cinematic. Delusional.
Reality looked me in the eye and said
Assignment.
KAN SEDIH
I still went to a hotel with friends, where they slept peacefully like sponsored angels while I typed my essay like a Victorian orphan. Love that for me.
WHAT A LIFE
Meanwhile, a full Eric Nam relapse
I’m blogging to Eric Nam, because if I must suffer, I will do it to a polite tenor.
He has English versions of his songs (which means I can cry with comprehension).
I made a Spotify playlist with only Eric Nam tracks. Minimalism.
His laugh is so sweet I needed insulin.
He hosts/MCs shows but I’m lazy, so I only listen. The imagination budget is high.
Follow him for your own spiral:
(You know how to find him, I believe in your thumbs.)
Lessons From a Week That Didn’t Go to Plan
- Friends can nap. you can still pass. Both can be true.
- Bacon is not a coping mechanism. It is a personality test.
- Llamas are cheaper than therapy if you don’t get kicked.
- If the assignment wins, put it in your gratitude jar and lie about the journey.
good night! back to the grind,
ikkel yolioliolio
Maybe you know—maybe you don’t.
But I’m in love with Grace VanderWaal.
Who isn’t?
I didn’t even catch her on America’s Got Talent live; YouTube threw her into my recommends and I clicked like a polite victim.
I expected “cute.”
I got voice + pen + presence.
Why She Hooked Me in 12 Seconds
That tone: husky-bright, a little raspy, instantly recognizable.
Songwriting: melodies that stick without shouting; lyrics that feel like she read my notes app and behaved.
Stage presence at twelve (twelve?!): grounded, weirdly calm, not trying too hard. Which is how you know it’s talent, not panic.
Favorite Things (so far)
- The way she phrases lines, tiny rhythm tilts that make a simple melody feel new.
- How her voice sits in the mix like a warm light. No wrestling, just there.
- Her ukulele era proving you don’t need a wall of sound to make a room listen.
Consequences of Being a Fan
- My playlists now have “Grace, then everyone else.”
- I keep saying “I’m just watching one video,” then suddenly it’s three hours later and I’ve learned nothing except joy.
- I would like to see her on my TV someday
(or, manifesting, meet her)
and pretend I’m normal about it. :P
I’m officially a big fan. If you need me, I’ll be in a YouTube tunnel, smiling like someone who just found an old diary and it sings.
Ikkel
Have you heard of Sama-Sama?
If Surabaya has Cocari for budget yakiniku, Bali has Sama-Sama.
My go-to when I want unlimited sizzling joy and still afford rent.
Location: 2nd floor, Jl. By Pass Ngurah Rai No. 128 (Kuta Selatan).
It’s far from my Denpasar cave, and yet…
I keep going back like a moth to an affordable flame.
Bali
Long-Distance Friendship, Low-Maintenance Love: Surabaya Crew, Bali Life, and Koko’s Eternal 17th
If I’m not wrong, January was the last time I went to Surabaya.
Time:
sprinting. I miss my friends like a habit I can’t quit.
We’re not super close in the daily-call, share-each-meal way. We grew up into different paths, different circles, different everything.
And still, this is my favorite part:
we support each other’s lives without forcing closeness. We don’t have to be in each other’s pockets to be real.
Friendship does not have to be constant to be true.
*Spoiler:
there were too many photos.
You’re welcome.
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