eat. go. do. // kaliurang

(for generations, my family have been living in Kaliurang~ a resort area located on the valley of an active volcano in Yogyakarta. When I was a kid, there are two seasons that I am familiar with: the tourist season and the non-tourist season. The tourist season means less privacy, noisy crowd everywhere, and it's pretty much the busiest time for the business. At the other side, it was also the best time to cuddle, read, and do the 'Disney/Ghibli movie-marathon' with my little sisters at home. While the non-tourist season would be more normal with school tasks, indulging days of unhurried routine, big playground just for us native kids, and  the perfect time for a quiet walk in the wood with a book to read under a big tree. 

Then, there comes a time when my life started to be built downtown and I took things for granted~ the fresh air, the scenery, the comfort and beauty suddenly translated into a long daily trip to go through. Luckily, that phase didn't last long. After the wedding, my husband and I decided to build our nest in this fresh-air little town. Having him as a new comer makes me see things in different light. This time, I mark the private-public territory in a bolder line: work at the city and home at the mountain. Suddenly, there is a newness in everyday life, enjoyable crisp peppermint wind, and instead of excruciating distance~ I start noticing how magnificent the volcano looks like as a deep black humps against the sky on our way back home every night. Things are exciting once again. 

If you're in town, come visit us in our little yellow house and I'll take you around!)

//eat//

breakfast: 1/ during the weekdays, try nasi rames mbak Ninik or Gudeg bu Aris in front of the central children park.. of course, you got to eat it picnic-style inside the park for a true Kaliurang experience. 2/ climb a bit (of stairs) and eat pecel with noodle at the traditional market of Tlogo Putri while watching silly wild monkeys going down from the hill~ so kitsch, it's so fun! 3/ opt for the more traditional breakfast with 'meniran' made by mbah Noto and fritters to be enjoyed in privacy. // lunch: 1/ for a long lunch in an old-style house, try Vogel's 2/ if you're more into Chinese food, try ordering 'seninjong' at restoran Joyo's. It taste amazing and the portion is big enough to share! 3/ Try the old-style bistik at Warung Podjok. 4/ if you feel a bit fancy, go to the hidden restaurant Beukenhof and embrace the magic! 5/ have some honey toast and fresh milk with an amazing (!!) view at warung ijo // dinner: 1/ try tongseng kopyok or rica-rica at Mbah Ganis. 2/ chose between Pak Po's roasted corn, Dislam meatball soup, or chicken satay at Pak Raji in front of the busy night food-stall in front of the central park and wash it down with warm ronde or a teapot of traditional tea at Warung Poci Astomulya.  

//go//

1/ Ullen Sentalu museum is a must. It's surreal! 2/ climb the Plawangan hill and discover all the Japanese Caves (make sure you get your photo taken by pak Dasri). 3/ there are always a hidden path, secret garden, or private places you can visit when you're going with a native. 

//do//

1/ take a walk! It's the perfect place for that. 2/ find the wabi-sabi feel and go house-watching. There are a lot of beautiful old-style villas and abandoned houses, abandoned swimming pools, or anything whimsical that is instagram friendly and fun to explore. 3/ shop for antique at Joyo antique shop! 4/ visit the flower nursery, buy a bunch of cheap fresh flowers that will last for weeks or get your photo taken. 5/ play a little adventure game off the beaten path and get lost in the nearest forest. 6/ hike with a bunch of stranger early in the morning to watch the sunrise at the other side of the hill. 7/ take your favorite book and find a garden or any place to read while daydreaming, cloud-spotting, or bird-watching. 8/ find some place high enough to watch the light change from the glorious golden sunset to dimmed city-light from afar, watch the moon rise and star gazing.. 

thought // good distance

(lately, life feels like a feast with too many treats on the table. It is amazing~ yet, a careful consideration is needed to decide what will actually end up on the plate. In time like this, a good distance is what I need to see things clearly; to hold the pause button for a little while and reconnect to all that matters.) 

the tale of beton

(once upon a time, there was a spring surrounded by six villages. Everyone from those six villages lives a harmonious life. Everyday they walk to the spring to get fresh water supply as well as to meet and to greet. Back then, nobody mind the distance.. but time is a strange thing..  

one day, people start complaining about the distance from their village to the spring. They could not afford the distance anymore.. they need to save more time to do more things that could not be wasted on walking or talking. There was only one solution: a modern watering system. With that solution, comes a price to pay: a village. 

that village was the nearest to the spring. There were only few houses and a small street that connects that village to the five other villages. The people in this village are the sweetest of them all. The moment they learn that they need to sacrifice their village-- their houses, their territory; they agreed. From then on, the village become a small reservoir called Beton. 

yes, you can still see the street sign and the bridge connecting this old village to the other two. You can even walk on it, crossing the lake through the old street. On a dry season when the water level is a little bit lower, you can even see the roof of what used to be people's houses. When you wandering on a water bike around the reservoir, remember that you actually are wandering on top of a village-- above people's roof, and their houses are underwater.. how whimsical is that?)

//notes//

visit beton?  

-- please note that this place is a bit hidden. If you're planning a visit, make sure to ask around and bring companions. (click here)

another story  

-- have you read the tale of the sixth borough? It's a bedtime story for grownup.. one of the best! A magical story about a lost neighborhood of NYC. (click here)