Life Sucks Without Friends

I realize that the older I get, the more I value relationships. Yesterday after Nong flew back to Bangkok, I felt this emptiness in my heart. I booked my ticket to Jakarta this Sunday with the hope that after Nong left, Dame would come to spend a few days with me in Bali. Anyway, that plan fell through and Dame couldn't make it. So I felt like I was left stranded here in this tourist paradise. All in all, yesterday was a sad day for me. I made it back to the beach but couldn't even bring myself to surf even though the waves were, once again, perfect.

I thought surfing means a lot to me. Well, it does. But not more than relationships. Yesterday was a day of reflection, and I was reminded of a couple truths. The first one is that most of life is about waiting. If I can get that fact established in my heart, then I won't suffer so much from waiting. The second is life sucks without friends. No matter how much you enjoy doing something, it doesn't mean much if you can't share your joy with other human beings.

But Nong had to go back and Dame couldn't come, so what could I do?

Well, I got hooked up with the disciples in Bali. That's one of the benefits of being a Christian in The International Churches of Christ. We're everywhere. After Nong left, I moved in with Peichen and her family. They welcomed me with open arms. And today, I got to hang out with Sendy. I'll tell ya there are many kinds of traveling, and I like most of them except organized tours. I love exploring new places with a great friend, like I did with Nong on this trip. I also love being shown around by the locals. Today Sendy picked me up at my place and took me on an open-air motorcycle ride around Denpasar. It sure heightens your sensations than being in a car. More on the edge type of sightseeing where you get the smell factor as well as the hot wind blowing in your face while you body's covered up in a jacket and long pants/trousers (in case any Brit's reading here) since this is how Indonesians travel around on a motorbike. They certainly don't want to get dark. She also took me to this dirt cheap arts/crafts market called Erlangga2. A must-go if you don't wanna get ripped off. I bought a pack of surfboard key chains for 7500 rupiah (less than a dollar) while I'd have to pay 7 bucks at a store in Kuta. What a bargain! Moreover, I got to buy some cheap abstract paintings for 1.5 USD a piece, which would easily cost more than $10 at Mervyn's. I love bargains! Murah, murah, ya...