I have been occupied by translation these past two days. They are not much actually, I am just too lazy to sit in two full hours to finish them up. Them documents are writings for some art exhibition which typically are crappy and pretentious with less than adequate grammatical sensibility. Other than that, my days are mundane. Classroom are not exciting as ever. Keli has gone off to the jungle and I eat dinner at Bli Bodrek’s house for two days in a row.

Yesterday I gave my new beau a ride to the airport. She was sweet and we actually talked. I don’t know where to go from the point where we are now. I am not sure if I want a relationship. But I surely enjoy her company. She said she does as well. That’s a good thing to start with.

I wanted some different reading material than those I read for thesis. I need to lighten my life up a lil bit. Been so shallow these days. I borrowed her The Economist. Since she’s not at home I guess I can bring it with me.

Texted Shiiqa the other day to start the #triviaolympic and for the first time I lead 2-0. She didn’t seem happy with it since she’s the incumbent winner. But I am a serious contender now. I will play properly.

Also, I swim the other day with Bale Kulkul lads. At UNY the pool was crowded, much to the point it is not sensible to swim in it anymore. I took a dip though, and manage to swim across twice. I surprised the fellow stranger who tagged along with us that I can swim. And quite fast for a newbie swimmer.

I run just now. Need to get out of my room and smell fresh air outside. Graha Sabha was full of kids, the way we see people at a night market. I joined some guys who played with their ball and have a nice chat on playing futsal. To my surprise I am not that excited anymore about learning new tricks. For sure I haven’t been practicing with Sparta for two weeks. I guess I am getting older. I find other activities more exciting.

And I certainly still infatuated with my new beau. I hope I didn’t make it sound like a deadpan, comic overstatement. Can’t wait for her to be back from Ubud next week. I hope the Writer Festival be nice to her.

My modem has been a bitch, almost forgot that. It got on my nerves really badly I wanted to seal and send it to Timbuctoo. For sure.

Anyway, it’s been a typical boring week.

“Are you gonna walk me out? Aren’t you gonna give me a kiss?” I teased her out of of my confusion. It seems surreal. Very unlikely. She walked me out still sporting her enticing lingerie. She held my hands at the door and give me a proper kiss. She smiled. I said I feel cheap.

She texted me the next day, “just woke up.” I was tired and lacking sleep. I told her to get a nice brunch and we keep texting each other the whole day. I asked her if she will have time for late night rendezvous. I have planned to drink beer with the lads and decided that meeting her afterward would be nice. She said it will depend on her mood later but also added that I should text her once I finished with the lads.

She didn’t want to come over to my place and asked me to come to her place again instead. I was a lil bit uneasy. I thought about being ditched right after the shagging and about feeling cheap. I made up my mind, however, and came to her place at 1 am. She was there, stunning as ever, in her party dress. She was out partying and I was waiting for her to have the late night rendezvous. She said something I didn’t hear and went back to the kitchen doing some errands I didn’t notice. I waited at the livingroom reading The Economist. It was like 15 minutes before she finally finished with the kitchen and the wall clock showed 1.30. Am I gonna be walked out the door again after we do it? No, I will say something straight and not even want to be in bed tonight. Nuff is nuff. She approached me while I am reading and give me a kiss. Then surprisingly walked to the front door and locked it.

We were in bed after. She gave me a toothbrush and offered a towel. I didn’t know that she enjoyed spooning and cuddling. I smell the pillow and her hair and feel her soft skin. No martini and lemon this time. I was tipsy still, however, from the beer with the lads. We made love. We shared the bed for the night. Now this is proper. She turned out very nice.

First time in the morning she made me a tofu omelet and a cup of bitter coffee. I offered to give her a ride tomorrow to the airport. She’s going off to Ubud for a week.

She turned out nice.

I asked her what’s her first impression of me. Whether she found me attractive. I didn’t remember what she said, I am a bit tipsy with martini. I remember telling her I am attracted to her and want to know her better. I don’t have much time, I said. Why don’t we find out? I took her hand and drew her closer. She smiled and sit on me. We starred at each other when our lips met. She tasted sweet. Martini and lemon.

The night was beautiful and balmy. I can feel her soft skin and the smell of flowers from her perfume.Martini and lemon. And lots of moaning thereafter.

At ViaVia Irene was with a guy who is staying at her place. A couchsurfer. She looks immaculate as ever and smoking. That night I guess I hit on her several times. I asked her if it is OK to ask her out sometimes to which she replied point blank with a laughter; “I will go out with you but I am not gonna sleep with you”. She totally reads me. I don’t remember the last time I got really drunk and ended up in somebody’s bed. But I would love to end up in her bed.

Last night for the first time after months I went to Jazz at Bentara with the Bale Kulkul lads. Yoga has just arrived from  Singapore and in the mood for hanging out. We are supposed to meet our fellow Balinese friends, two girls, but they didn’t make it. There we met Nick and Matt our two Aussie blokes, instead. The Jazz was crowded with people. I didn’t know that it was Bentara’s anniversary. I met Irene again at Bentara.  We chatted a lil bit and she starts making me suffers from infatuation.

I don’t know if it is habitual but I make mixtape when in the mood for love. So yesterday I spent an hour or so selecting some tracks from my itunes library. I am much inspired by Antoarief mixtape featuring Jamie Aditya; he likes to compile tracks with similar beat. I mean if you want to make a mixtape of downbeat, soul-ridden lovesongs then make them all downbeat, and sounds like Curtis Mayfield singing.

I finished with several tracks from female singer and failed to fit David Bowie in. I started with Norah Jones’ The Story, a song from the motion picture My Blueberry Nights and ended up with Tom Waits’ I Hope I Don’t Fall in Love with You. It features songs from Air, Playground Love and Highschool Lover, to Grizzly Bear’s Deep Blue Sea. It also has Joss Stone’s 4 and 20 which makes me nostalgic to the time when Megan was still around.

I am thinking about the best way to upload it here so you guys can listen. Perhaps each songs to its rapidshare location? or should I compress them to a zip file and upload it?

Anyway, the mixtape’s title borrows from Jeff Buckley lines; lover, you should’ve come over.

I met Bhumy as well. He was glad to see me again as he smiled broadly when spotting me in the kitchen. The boy was clearly taller now.

The day after hanging out at Astrid’s house I went to bli Bodrek’s house to have second dinner. Bli Ngurah and Yoga joined as well. We shared the food that bli Bodrek’s wife cooked. And then drank a lot of beer at the verandah. Jokes were abound and people teased each other. Such a unique Balinese way of having bonding moment. For the first time I truly felt at home. With my own people, and our own world. I spoke Balinese a lot. And surprisingly I was still fluent with my high Balinese language.

Leo also has been back since Sunday. He brought arak bali which I had a shot last night. Sweet. Life has never been fuller yesterday.

I got the urge to ask people whether they will still keep in touch with me when they already move on. Talked to Windut as well. Missed her a lot but she seems nonchalant about it. At least I know she’s happy. She’s been sick, that’s why she hasn’t said any hello. Delhi sucks, if only she’s convinced to work at a better place. I am much of a drama these days. In the mean time I also miss my ajie, Ting. She has been taking care of me when I was in SG. A perfect sister. The last time I emailed her, she is still adapting to her new job in Beijing. She met new friends and preparing for GRE. She said, I will see you soon in the US. It would be nice if we go to Boston together. But am thinking Melbourne now. Anyway, I hope she is doing good. I should email her soon.

Whats that? You dont like it ajie, trust me

with mace Inggrid in Solo

Tom, pace Hatib and me

Me, Katie and mace Inggrid

Keli, Katie, mas Ganda and everyone else

So, we are expecting the rise of new hegemon. I am more interested in what kind of values they promote. Also in what kind of pop culture invading our living room in the future. In the meantime, enjoy the graph!

I am thinking about drawing again. I used to draw during junior  and senior high and was the illustrator for school magz. But for a very long time I forgot how to use my pencil. I put my drawing tools aside since freshman year college since I found out that everyone is drawing with a slightly better skills than mine. They make my drawings artistically negligible at best.

The reason why I turned to my artistic side again was because I met a cool new guy the other day at Lisa’s farewell party. Damn, he is so young and artistic. A very true Indonesian hipster, very much influenced by psychedelic style and eastern philosophies. I swear I might recognize him from any Beat posters. He captures awesome photos and draw moving sketches.

So, I guess you guys will see some of my sketches soon. I will make sure that I post them here.