Travelling by train from Solo City to Yogyakarta on Monday bought me back to another place that I hold close to my heart.
Three years ago I studied here and met some of my best friends and made so many new ones.
Yogya is a student city with a population of over 5 million people and home to many Universities, collages and schools. This influences the demographic immensely as there is a large proportion of students from all over Indonesia and the world that converge here. This also makes for an abundant amount of Warungs (places to eat) on the street with an amazing variety of fresh foods.
It's always good to step outside of your comfort zone and sit at a Warung and talk with the locals and eat the same food, immersing ones self into the daily food culture here.
On my first day back here, I ran into two Aussies ( Wally and Mick) who were studying at the same school as me. Us Aussies stick out easily and we all instantly clicked and it has been great to learn of their jobs as mining managers in West Papua, quite fascinating work.
Today ( Thursday) my friends took me to the beach (pantai) wow wow wow... Such an awesome day and I am grateful.
To swim in the Javanese Indian Ocean when last week I swam in the Perth Indian Ocean, I am one lucky man.
The beach and surrounds here are very beautiful, with little to no similarity to the beaches in Austraila, here the beaches are not tainted with too much tourism and very traditional.
We walked along the beach with many asking to have their photo taken with me, of which I was happy to oblige haaa. I was the only person swimming, and I later found out that there was a permanent severe rip and that it was super dangerous to swim out further than 5 metres as people get sucked down and die On the coral and rocks.... Point noted I kept in close, I love the salt water it is invigorating.
There were busloads of school kids enjoying the beach ( but not swimming) and we went hassled by sellers on the beach like in Bali, where they are an absolute annoyance.
What us so cool, is the abundance of food and drink supplies available on the beach. My friend Aji, bought fresh coconut which definatly did the trick... I get tired easily in the weather here and this drink picked me up.
I was then taken to the local fish markets to select our food and took it to the beach to be cooked for us. It was some of the best seafood I have eaten. Fresh, tasty and spicy :)
I am starting to feel the message from Gaia for me, as I am seeking guidance and answers from within me to be unearthed and unmasked so I can see, hear and feel them clearly, with my eyes, ears and heart.
Today I again felt relaxed in the company of my new friends..
Making new friends and seeking out old ones, it is a life joy for me. Perhaps this is the life message... keep on doing this.
I caught up with an old friend last night and his beautiful wife, they operate a travel, motorbike and car business here in Yogyakarta. We discussed business opportunities here and investments.
I would sooner invest here in a partnership and for rewarding work and life than invest in my country any day. Most steps forward for growth in my country seem to be forged by one getting in debt for long periods and I feel that that is not a wise move for me now at my age.
I know I'll never be homeless with so many friends, so why subscribe to having to buy a house with walls that isolate me from being amongst a community, as is the Norm in my country. Walls that create am energetic block that create atmosphere of separation from others..
I feel in Australia we fail in fostering intimate local communities and insist on placing pressures that create stresses across numerous seams of life... And for what?
Is that living life? Or simply subscribing to a dictated form of life drilled in through control driven curriculum... Really... Are you making your own choices or measuring up to the social norms dictated to you?
I am grateful :)
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